


Spooky Scary Swapping Day

by Tabbyluna



Category: Skylanders - Fandom
Genre: Bodyswap, Gen, Halloween, Haunted House, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 16:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18608068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabbyluna/pseuds/Tabbyluna
Summary: 'Unless you walk a mile in another man's shoes, you will never imagine the smell.' At first, Snap Shot thought that it was just another weird saying on a fortune cookie. A total non-sequitur. That is, until that very saying got him into the mess he's in now. Will he be able to get out of it, or will the rest of his life be spent in another's shoes? Takes place Pre-Imaginators. Originally posted October 2017.





	1. The Room Where It Happened

'I'm telling you guys, you should have seen the look on their faces when me and Snap Shot arrived! They all looked so freaked out!'

Short Cut burst out laughing at the memory, much to the amusement of the other Trap Masters. The Trap Team was currently discussing some matters, and everyone sat in a circle in the middle of Snap Shot's room. Snap Shot had insisted that everyone gather here to discuss the plan for the next day. Unfortunately, the scheduled time overlapped with dinner. So, as compensation, he had gotten take-out for everyone, as according to him, a good leader should.

'Alright, Short Cut, that's enough of telling everyone about our mission today. Let's get back to the discussion.' Said Snap Shot, as he brought the conversation back on track. 'So, costumes, are they all done?'

The little phantom nodded. 'Yup. All done up, and ready for usage.' He slurped his large soda drink.

'Don't drink too much of that, Short. Ya know what too much sugar does to you.'

'Aw, don't worry about me. I'm getting better at handling myself.' Replied Short Cut. He carried on gulping down the soda from a cup as tall as himself.

'Right, movin' on. Blastermind. How are the special effects going?' Asked Snap Shot.

'Oh, they're running excellently, Snap Shot. Jawbreaker and I ran a test run earlier this afternoon, and everything works exactly as it should.' He grinned. 'Not bad for a homemade haunted house, if I do say so myself.'

Tomorrow was Halloween, and everyone at the Academy was busy preparing for the special event. There was a lot that they needed to prepare for: face painting, pumpkin carving, concert, apple bobbing, all the standard things you would expect from a Halloween festival.

But this year, there was a new event that the Trap Masters would be responsible for. It all started when Short Cut was reminiscing about his old life in his undead village. He had been thinking about the Halloweens then, about how they were different from the ones up in the surface, and in what ways they were similar. One of the things that he had said was very different was the haunted house.

'In my village, we always used the haunted houses to tell old undead folk tales and legends. There would be two guards guiding the group through the house, to make sure that they wouldn't wander off. A narrator would tell the story as they travel along the place, and actors would act out some scenes to show people what happened. The shows would always end in the attic. And then when the show ends, my favorite part will happen! Everyone will exit by getting thrown all the way down to the ground from the attic window!'

Everyone thought that that was an… interesting use of a haunted house. To say the least.

Short Cut had begged everyone to do it. He had insisted that it would have been the perfect way to spice up Halloween that year. 'Please? We always do the same things over and over again, year after year! I think we need to do something new and kick it up a notch!'

He had brought up a very good point. Most of the citizens of The Underworld only came out during Halloween. And when they came up, they would usually head for the same events that they go to for years. The Skylanders' Halloween festival was one of the most commonly attended events among the citizens, mostly due to the Skylanders' good reputation among many undead circles. They could probably do the same events for years, and most of the undead wouldn't mind. Most undead citizens were reluctant to change anyways. But they figured that the undead deserved better than minimum level effort. Especially since for so many of them, it was the only night when they even left The Underworld. It was a special event that deserved effort.

So, they implemented Short Cut's idea. It was actually a pretty good idea; it was something new to do for the festival, but not too overwhelming. The attendees could come in, enjoy a retelling of a classic folk tale, and go out. 'But no throwin' anyone out of a window.' Said Snap Shot.

The Trap Masters were all assigned with this new activity. It was a lot of hard work, even among eighteen people to share. But they all persevered, and within a few months, they had built a fully functional haunted house to stage their production, adapted a classic undead folk tale, figured out the staging and special effects, and made costumes. Everyone had memorized their lines and knew their places, but there was still a little bit more work that they needed to do.

'Well guys, today's rehearsal went a lot better than last time.' Cheers rose from the little circle.

'But I think we may still need to go through the whole thing again one more time. We have some things that we may need to improve on. Bushwhack,' The tree elf looked up from his noodles, slurping them up by the forkful.

'Ya need to project your voice a little more. You were gettin' drowned out by Head Rush back there.'

Bushwhack nodded. 'Got it, Snap.' He carried on with his noodles.

'An' Enigma, ya nailed the narration bit, but you might want to use more invisibility magic in the actual thing. It'll help to make it a little spookier.'

Enigma looked up from his corner of the room, 'Okay.' Was his only reply after a few seconds of silence.

'Hey, Snap.' Said Bushwhack, talking with his mouth full. 'Where did you get these noodles from anyway? They're delicious!'

The crocagator grinned. 'I just found this little place on a tiny island after a scoutin' mission one day.'

OoOoOoOoOo

'Well then, let's agree to never go back to that place ever again!' Whined Kaos.

'Yes, sir.' Replied Glumshanks.

'The food there is disgusting! And not at all evil enough for someone like ME! Don't you agree Glumshanks?'

'Of course, sir.' Said Glumshanks. Although personally, he really didn't mind the food there. He thought that the pixie woman running the place was a lovely lady. And since her business was on a very small island on the outskirts of nowhere, he knew that she needed as much support as possible. 'But sir, since we've been kicked out of almost all the restaurants in the area-'

'Silence, Glumshanks!' Kaos had pushed his half-full plate out of the way, and now had a booked propped in front of him. 'I'm trying to think of how I can use this "mind magic", so that that I can use it to rule over ALL OF SKYLANDS!'

After their last plan with The Darkness went awry, Kaos had decided that their next evil plan needed to be much better. At first, he thought that a clone of himself would be the answer, but that failed too. So, he went back to the drawing board to brainstorm a new idea. Needless to say, it was not going well.

As Glumshanks munched on his own take-out, Kaos tapped a pen against his notebook, trying to think of a use for mind magic. Taking advantage of the rare occasion where his master was not yelling at him, Glumshanks began to use this rare moment of peace to think.

Here they are, back in the lair again. Once again, Kaos was thinking of a new plan to conquer Skylands. His army of minions was coming along nicely, if a little slowly. And even though they were running a little low on supplies, it wasn't much different from what they usually had to work with.

It was like the good old days.

But he didn't know how he felt about that.

On one hand, they were back in the business of evil, and Kaos was certain that his next plan would be the one that would get them to conquer Skylands, once and for all. As Kaos' only friend and loyal servant, he was hoping that he would finally be able to achieve that goal.

But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel a little sick of the whole routine.

It was strange, because he never really felt like this before. Sure, he had never been supremely optimistic about Kaos' success in ruling Skylands, but he had always had enough zeal to be an active participant in his schemes. But now, he just feels more indifferent than he had ever felt in his life.

Perhaps it was because he knew the routine inside out. Once Kaos found an amazing plan that could possibly work, they would have some level of mild success before ultimately being stopped by the Skylanders. It had always been like that; from the very beginning, to banishing them to the Earth dimension, to teaming up with the darkness. That pattern never ceased to stop.

He supposed that he could have tolerated it for a little while longer, but something had changed his world view. And that something, he figured, had to be his short team-up with the Skylanders. For all his life, no one had ever treated him particularly kindly. His family was a very traditional troll family, where the runts of the family were often given a harder time for being so. Unfortunately for him, he was the runt, and he often got teased by his siblings and mocked by his parents for his failing grades at Troll Academy and his meekness. They all thought that he was a disappointment to troll-kind, and shipped him off to Evil Academy the first chance they got.

His time at Evil Academy wasn't pleasant either. Many of the students there had a hand in making life miserable for him. It was nothing physical, like what the trolls would do. It was more insidious. Vicious rumors, mocking laughter, funny looks, he experienced them all. There were only two things that he liked about school. The first was that there were no trolls in it. He figured that most of them did not pass the entrance exam. The other was that he met Kaos there.

Kaos wasn't the brightest student at the school, but he had a talent for leadership, and was descended from one of the greatest evil portal masters of all time. Kaos took him under his wing during their time in school. He promised him a career with many opportunities, and a lifelong friendship with him.

During that time, he had no other way of companionship, so he gladly accepted his offer. Granted, he had never received a promotion in his life, Kaos never really treated him like a friend, and constantly belittled, scolded, and mocked him, but for the most part, he was fine with what he had. If a little weary.

Then he teamed up with the Skylanders, and that was the experience that changed him.

As he worked alongside them, he realized that he had never experienced anyone treating him with as much respect and kindness as his ex-enemies did. They never forgot the things that he had done against them, but he wasn't belittled by them. At least not intentionally. Some of them even bothered to do some random acts of kindness towards him. A lot of them said that all the nice things they did were "the least they could do for helping to save the Academy and some of their lives", but to him, it was some of the nicest things that anyone had ever done to him. It was strange, but once he experienced their friendship and kindness, he realized what he had been missing from his life.

And he didn't even know what that thing was called.

Glumshanks sighed, and sank deeper into his seat. Maybe he would figure out what that thing was called, but the reality of the situation was that he was back in the lair as Kaos' butler, and their old routine had to continue.

OoOoOoOoOo

'So, other than all that I just mentioned, I'd say we had a pretty good run today.' Said Snap Shot.

'Of course, we'll have to run through it at least one more time tomorrow before show time. So, here's the plan. Tomorrow, we all gather in the cafeteria at six for breakfast to discuss the plans for the day. Any missions that we get during the day will be attended to immediately. But if there are none, we will spend the day running through the whole thing, and preppin' for Halloween. Got it?' Asked Snap Shot.

'Got it.' Replied seventeen other voices in the room.

'Great. Well, I'd say we all did a mighty good job today guys. Good luck to us-'

'Don't say "good luck"!' Interjected Tuff Luck. Everyone was surprised at that statement.

'Well, that's a first.' Remarked Knight Mare.

Tuff Luck gave her a stern look,and continued. 'Ya can't say "good luck" when yah perform somethin'! That's bad luck! Yah hafta say "Break a leg" instead!'

'Right,' Said Snap Shot. He looked down at all the empty boxes on the floor, and realized that there were a few things that he forgot to give out. A few vanilla flavored things. 'Hey, speakin' of luck, there are fortune cookies included. Anyone want one?'

There were three cookies altogether. Because nobody could decide who should get it, the Trap Masters drew straws. In the end, one was given to Tuff Luck, one to Snap Shot, and one to Knight Light.

'"You will be proven right in the most unexpected way."' Read Tuff Luck. 'Hmm… I wonder how.'

'Hopefully not in the "Bad luck for the performance" way.' Said Short Cut. He finished up slurping the last of his soft drink, and now looked towards Gusto, who sat right next to him. 'Hey, Gusto. Can I have some of your soda?'

Gusto rubbed the back of his head, 'Well, I dunno Short. You do tend to have act out a little when it comes to sugar.'

'Pleeeeeaaase?' Begged the little phantom. 'With a cherry on top?'

'Well, since you added the cherry,' Said Gusto, as he handed Short Cut the rest of his soft drink. His cup was nearly two times the size of Short Cut. 'Besides, what's the worst that could happen?'

'Thanks!' Said Short Cut. And he began to slurp at Gusto's sugary soda.

'Make sure he doesn't drink too much, Gusto.' Warned Snap Shot, but it was too late. The little phantom was already chugging down the soft drink like there was no tomorrow; in large, quick mouthfuls.

'Never mind.' Snap Shot Sighed.

'"You will enjoy a long trip.'"Read Knight Light. 'Great, I got one of the stock fortunes.' He said, disappointed.

'Aw, cheer up, Knight Light. We all get those at some point or another.' Said Head Rush.

'Well, what does your fortune say, Snap?' Asked Wallop.

Snap Shot broke through the fortune cookie, chipping through it with his thumbs, and pulled out the thin piece of paper. '"Unless you walk a mile in another man's shoes, you will never imagine the smell." I got one of those quirky quotes.' Said Snap Shot.

'Aw, dang. That's a shame, Snap.' Said Wallop. 'Better luck next time, buddy.' He gave him a friendly nudge in the arm.

'Thanks Wallop.' He smiled.

'You know what, it's actually been pretty fun to just hang out like this, Snap.' Smiled Wallop. 'We should do this more often.'

All around, the Trap Masters were all happily chatting and telling jokes to each other. There was no in-fighting, no more major conflicts, and nothing to dampen the mood. It was an atmosphere of peace, which was something that they, as Trap Masters, did not really get to experience much. 'It's nice to finally get a breather.' Thought Snap Shot.

Snap Shot grinned at his best friend. 'Well then, I guess if we wanna do this type of bondin' more often, we better check with the villains of Skylands then. Maybe they'll be nice and let us have a day off.'

They both chuckled at the joke. Maybe someday. Thought Snap Shot.

He looked up at the wall clock. It was getting late, and they all did need to get up early. He should probably dismiss them now.

'Well, I think that's it for today. Help with the clean-up guys. I'll see you guys again in the morning, six o'clock sharp.'

'Goodnight Snap Shot.'

See you later, crocagator.'

'G'night Snap.'

'G'night to you guys too.' Said Snap Shot, as he helped his team to gather up the paper plates to throw out. Today had been a tiring day. He went to several different areas in Skylands on scouting missions, on top of having to prepare for the performance, and he was looking forward to some shut-eye.

OoOoOoOoOo

'This is going nowhere, Glumshanks! I can't seem to find a decent way to use this mind magic!' Said Kaos, as he threw the notebook to the ground, cracking its spine in the process.

Glumshanks picked up the book from the ground. 'Well, sir, maybe you're just tired. After all, it is getting late. I'm sure after a good night's sleep, your mind will be ready to think of a new evil scheme.'

'I've got it, Glumshanks!' Exclaimed Kaos. 'I'm just tired! Yes, that's it! Maybe all I need is some sleep!'

Kaos hopped off his chair and began to walk to his room. 'Bring up some warm evil chocolate milk for me, Glumshanks! And this time, make sure that it is both evil enough and chocolaty enough for an evil genius like me!'

Glumshanks shuddered at the memory of him getting thrown into the thorn patch outside repeatedly. He definitely needed to make sure that the evil chocolate milk was good enough for his master. 'Right away, Lord Kaos.' He said.

As he was left alone in the dining hall, he realized that the boxes of take-out were still there, along with Kaos' dirty plate. Might as well clean up here while I'm at it. He thought.

He began to move the things to the kitchen, scraping off the leftover food into the trash can. Placing the plates into the sink to be dealt with later. And pushing in the chairs. The dining room now looked much neater.

As he cleared up all the boxes, he realized something that he hadn't noticed before. In one of the cardboard boxes, there laid a single fortune cookie. Glumshanks plucked it out of the box upon seeing it. He felt his mouth water as he gazed at the bite-sized dessert. 'Well, Lord Kaos doesn't even like fortune cookies. So, I guess, why not?'

He snapped the cookie in two, took out the roll of paper in it, and popped the pieces into his mouth. He then held the paper to his face, and read the fortune. '"Unless you walk a mile in another man's shoes, you will never imagine the smell." Weird fortune to receive...' But it was interesting enough for him to keep it. He placed the fortune into a pocket, and continued clearing up the dining room.

After that was done, he boiled up some evil chocolate milk for Kaos, and brought it up for him. Fortunately, Kaos found the milk a perfectly acceptable level of evil and chocolaty enough, so Glumshanks was not thrown into the thorn patch outside again. Glumshanks took his approval as his cue to leave. He left, and walked through the dark, creepy halls of the lair into his tiny room.

'And remember Glummy,' Called out Kaos. 'When the lunch whistle, well, whistles, come back to the lair first and make me my lunch.'

Right, how could he forget. Every year around Halloween, Kaos would try to lure unsuspecting trick-or-treaters to his lair, only to scare them off. Which means that he'll be out all day tomorrow setting up pranks. He didn't know what the point was anymore though, eventually, pretty much every child in Skylands knew better than to fall for Kaos' tricks, but for some reason he still enjoys setting up the traps in hopes that at least one kid would fall for it. It was usually a cumbersome process, with very little payoff if at all.

But he still had go do it. 'Yes, Lord Kaos.'

As Glumshanks settled down on his scratchy, hard bed, he reread the fortune again. "Unless you walk a mile in another man's shoes, you will never imagine the smell". Still an odd quote to put on a fortune cookie, in his opinion. Looking closer, he realised that the lines on the cookie appear to be hand-written. They make their cookies by hand. How nice. He thought.

His attention shifted to his tiny alarm clock at his side. He decided that it was time to go to bed. It was getting late after all, and he had a lot of work cut out for him.

Glumshanks sighed, as he placed his fortune besides the analogue clock. He set his alarm clock to six in the morning, pulled his thin blanket over his head, and began to doze off.

OoOoOoOoOo

That night, something strange happened.

It started out normal, as most unusual events do. It was deep into the night, and pretty much everyone was asleep.

But as the clock struck midnight, a mysterious event occurred. That night, Snap Shot and Glumshanks slept peacefully. They didn't have any nightmares. They were in a deep sleep. And nothing woke them up in the middle of the night. They slept peacefully.

To the point where they didn't know what was happening until the next morning.


	2. What Is This Feeling?

Glumshanks woke up to the sound of an alarm clock beeping. He opened his eyes, still a little tired. The taste in his mouth tasted like raw meat, which was a little odd. Maybe it was just the set meal he had last night. The chicken did taste a little weird to him. He rolled over onto his back, and began to wake himself up.   
  
But as he stared at the ceiling, regaining his consciousness, he realized that the bed was softer than he remembered it to be. Strange… Thought Glumshanks. Maybe he was still a little tired. Or perhaps he had just rolled onto a soft spot. That was most likely it. He twisted around to make a mental note of the strangely comfortable spot. But when he did, he saw something he did not expect.   
  
As he twisted around, he caught sight of his bed-frame. The room was still very dark, as the sun had not risen yet and the lights were off, but the bed-frame certainly looks different. It looked slightly bigger than usual. And for some reason, it had what looks to be the water element symbol carved into it.   
  
Come to think of it, his room smelled different too. Instead of its usual smell of dust and dirty laundry, it seemed to smell like salty water. Salty water and some of that take-out that he and Kaos had last night.   
  
Maybe he was dreaming. Yeah, that was it. Without looking down, he pinched himself, and waited for himself to wake up.   
  
He never woke up. And now his arm had hurt from pinching it. His arm had felt kind funny when he touched it too. It felt rougher, in a scaly type of way. It was scalier, and it felt harder to pinch. He began to look around for the light switch.   
  
For some reason, the light switch was not directly accessible from his bed. His bedroom seemed to have grown three sizes overnight, and the switch was all the way on the other side of the room, next to the door. This was really beginning to freak him out. He sprang out of bed, ran across the room, and turned on the lights.   
  
When the lights came on, that was the first time he got a good look at his arm. It was no longer a skinny, green arm. Instead, it seemed to have turned blue, grown scales, and it had gotten a lot more muscular. Mirror, mirror, I need a mirror!   
  
He found one on the wall, directly above a small dresser drawer. He ran to it, thinking that this was simply an elaborate prank. That was the most likely explanation for this, was it not?   
  
But as he saw the reflection in the mirror, he saw a face that was not his own. It was a familiar face nevertheless, and it was one that Glumshanks found familiar. It was the face of none other than the leader of the Trap Masters, Snap Shot himself.   
  
When Glumshanks saw the face, he jumped back, alarmed, and yelped in a voice that was not his own, 'Wha – How?!'   
  
But nothing happened. Snap Shot didn't answer Glumshanks' question. Or even did anything to him, for that matter. In fact, "Snap Shot" seemed to have imitated the way Glumshanks jumped back. Right down to his shocked expression.   
  
Glumshanks couldn't believe it. This had to be some prank, right? He rose his right hand, and so did the reflection. He stuck his tongue out, as did the reflection. He kept doing quick, sudden movements. But every time he did, the reflection always mimicked him perfectly. Glumshanks touched the mirror to make sure that it was an actual one. When he did, he learnt that it was, in fact, a real mirror. No tricks at all.   
  
Glumshanks stared at the reflection – his reflection – for a minute. Slack-jawed and speechless. Then, he fainted.   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
Snap Shot woke up to the sound of an alarm clock ringing. The moment he heard it, he immediately found it strange. His alarm clock was a digital one, wasn't it? No matter. He pulled himself out of the bed, ready to start the day.   
  
But the minute he stood up, he accidentally hit his knee against something. Snap Shot looked at what he hit, and realized that it was a wall. A wall? His bed wasn't placed near a wall. Come to think about it, his dorm wasn't painted a stone grey color either. He turned around. His dorm wasn't this small either. In fact, the current room he was in looked more like a very small cupboard than a bedroom. Had he been pranked?   
  
He walked out of the place in a huff. 'Alright you lot, who – wait, this isn't my voice!' His voice was no longer as deep as it once was, it was now a lot smaller too. It sounded rather odd with his accent.   
  
Snap Shot looked around the room, trying to see where he was. All around was a dark, smelly corridor, where he saw the weirdest decorations he had ever seen in his life. There was a dried-up cactus plant in the corner, wilting away. The carpet was threadbare, and dyed a very ugly shade of maroon. And all around, hanging all over the walls, were pictures of-   
  
'Kaos!' Growled Snap Shot under his breath. He recognized where he was. For some reason, he was in Kaos' evil lair! But what was he doing here? Could this be a trap?   
  
He had to find out, before anything bad happened.   
  
He walked through the halls, looking around carefully. What was Kaos up to this time? Could it be another one of his evil schemes? He needed to find out.   
  
The corridor eventually led into a crossroads, so Snap Shot turned left. As he did, he realized that in the place of one of Kaos' hideous portraits, there was a large mirror in the middle of the room. It was huge, with a golden frame around it. The words "Number 1 Evil Emperor" were pasted at the very top. At the time, Snap Shot did not think too much about said mirror. Just another crummy decoration in his lair. He thought.   
  
But as he walked by that mirror, he saw his reflection from the corner of his eye, and it caught him by surprise. He took a step back, and got a proper look at himself. Staring right back at him, was not the crocagator that he recognized, but a skinny troll. He had long, gangly limbs, bags under his eyes, and he stared back at Snap Shot with utter terror.   
  
He was staring at Glumshanks!   
  
It was at this point, where Snap Shot let out a loud, horrified scream, as all the pieces fell together.   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
Glumshanks woke up again to the sound of pounding on the door. The person on the other side knocked against the door hard, as if she was on the verge of breaking it down. Glumshanks immediately got up, and took a deep breath.   
  
Okay, okay. So you're in the body of the leader of the Trap Masters, no problem. You just have to deal with it now. There has to be a logical explanation for this, maybe this will only be temporary. Just deal with it now.   
  
After he had calmed himself down, he walked to the mirror. For now, I'll just have to take his place. Maybe no one will notice. Now, how would Snap Shot act now...   
  
He stood up straight. Tall and confident. He thought. How's my Australian accent?   
  
He faced the mirror, and cleared his throat. 'A-hem, G-day mate!' No, that was a little forced.   
  
'G-day mate.' Better.   
  
A low, female voice called out to him on the other side. 'Come out Snap Shot! Come on! Get up already!' The hinges of the door were beginning to shake. Glumshanks dashed to the door, and opened in quickly.   
  
'Good mor-'   
  
'What were you doing?!' Asked the person on the other side. She was a female centaur, dressed in shiny green armor. She had her hands on her hips, was holding a small paper bag, and was giving him an awfully scary glare. 'You asked all of us to meet for breakfast in the cafeteria at six o'clock sharp! Everyone else came on time except for you! And now it's seven-thirty, and you're still here! What in Skylands were you up to?'   
  
Glumshanks looked at the menacing centaur, and tried to think of an excuse. 'Uh... well, you see…' What was her name again? He searched his memory quickly for any female centaur Skylanders. 'Uhh…' Suddenly, he recalled a story that Doctor Krankcase had told the other Doom Raiders when they took over Kaos' Evil Lair. He had talked about a female centaur who had interfered with a plan of his. And her name was…   
  
'You see, Knight Mare. I uhh…' He rubbed the back of his neck. 'I overslept!'   
  
Knight Mare kept her hands on her hips, and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. 'You? Overslept? Really?'   
  
Glumshanks grinned sheepishly, 'Well, um, yeah.' He chuckled nervously when he did. Judging by her reaction, apparently Snap Shot always gets up super early.   
  
Knight Mare looked at him, half concerned. 'Snap Shot, are you sick or something?'   
  
'Uhh… No! Yeah, I was up late doing important prison paperwork stuff. So, I'm just a little tired.' He looked at the questioning lady nervously.   
  
Knight Mare gave him an apprehensive look. 'Okay, if you say so.' She motioned him to walk with her. 'We need to see Short Cut, he wants to show you something he stayed up all night doing. You weren't lying when you said he experienced sugar rushes. Also,' She handed him the paper bag. 'I saved you some breakfast.'   
  
Glumshanks peeked into the paper bag. Inside, it looked like an English muffin, with some strips of raw chicken sandwiched in between. Not the most appetizing thing he had ever eaten, and he certainly would not eat the raw meat, but no one had bothered to get him breakfast before. It was a surprisingly touching gesture.   
  
They walked pass rows and rows of blue doors, before they reached the staircase. Following Knight Mare's lead, Glumshanks walked downstairs, passing by a level full of green doors, a level full of brown doors, and finally, stopping at a level full of grey and black doors.   
  
Knight Mare walked ahead for a little while, before stopping at a small grey door. There was a tiny handwritten sign pasted on it with duct tape. In the dim lighting of the place, Glumshanks could make out the words "Short Cut's Room. (No Snooping.)" on it. There were also several sharp needles sticking out of the wooden door. She tapped lightly on the door three times. Tap, tap, tap.   
  
A few seconds passed. Then, the door swung open, revealing a short little phantom on the other side. He looked up Glumshanks, a wide grin on his face. 'Hey, Snap Shot!' He began. 'So, you know how last night you said that I couldn't take all that sugar? Well, you were wrong! I could control myself perfectly fine! In fact, while I was in my room, I had gotten more ideas for the costume designs! Just look at them now!'   
  
He gestured the two of them into the room. 'Well, what do you think?'   
  
Glumshanks turned around, facing Short Cut's general direction. On a nearby row of coat-hangers, there hung some of the most beautiful costumes that Glumshanks has ever seen. The designs of the clothes looked almost archaic, as if it were from a professional period piece. The cloths used were plush velvets and yellowing lace, furthering the ancient look of the clothes. Glumshanks looked carefully at the costumes, admiring the handiwork. 'Wow, you did all this in one night?'   
  
Short Cut beamed with pride, jumping up and down excitedly. 'Yup. It was only modifications, of course, but I'm glad at least someone appreciates my work.' He seemed to direct the "someone" at the opened door outside.   
  
'Everyone on this level kept complaining about me doing my work all night. They wanted me to sleep already. "Go to bed, Short Cut!" they said. "I had a long, hard day, Short Cut!"' He sighed. 'but I couldn't sleep! Not now, not when I have all these ideas! All I wanted to do was to work on these costumes! Is that really such a bad thing? Unless it is, in which case I think I should apologize...'   
  
Glumshanks never knew it was possible to talk that fast.   
  
'You should have seen him earlier.' Remarked Knight Mare, as she gathered the costumes. 'He was running around the halls, screaming out all his ideas. It took all of us dark and undead Skylanders on this floor to get him to calm down.'   
  
'Anyways, we better get these costumes upstairs!' She said, her arms filled with clothing and the little phantom jumping all over her. 'Little help?'   
  
'Oh, sure.' Went Glumshanks. He took some of the clothes, and placed Short Cut on the ground.   
  
'So, how was he like last night?' Asked Glumshanks. How much sugar did Short Cut eat?   
  
Knight Mare sighed. 'You wouldn't believe…'   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
'What is the matter with you Glumshanks!? What's all the screaming about?!'   
  
Snap Shot grimaced at the sound of that voice. He turned around, and saw Kaos looking back at him. He was wearing a black nightgown with a matching nightcap, and although he was rubbing his right eye vigorously, Snap Shot could see an annoyed expression on his face.   
  
As he walked into the hall, Snap Shot's immediate though was that he was responsible for the swap. He glared at the portal master. 'What did you do?!'   
  
'What did I do what?' Asked Kaos.   
  
'What did you do to me? Why did you turn me into Glumshanks, Kaos?'   
  
Kaos looked at him as if he was crazy. 'Are you feeling alright Glumshanks? You've always been like this. Also,' He gripped on to the arm of his tattered teddy bear, and pointed at Snap Shot with it. 'Did you just call me Kaos?!'   
  
'Of course! Why would I call you anythin' else?' Snap Shot gave him a suspicious look.   
  
'Well, ever since we started working together, we have agreed that you have to call me 'Lord Kaos'. But 'Emperor Kaos' and 'Great, Wise, and Handsome Supreme Leader Kaos' are also fine substitutes.' He folded his arms. 'But you didn't call me any of these things, so I'm sure you know what that means.'   
  
'What does it mean?' Asked Snap Shot. But before any answer could be given, he felt a strong force pull at him. It felt as if a large, invisible hand was dragging him by the ears, pulling him across the floor. He closed his eyes, only opening them when he felt himself being pulled off the floor. He was standing in front of a wide window, and below him, Kaos was opening it up.   
  
'It means this Glumshanks. Remember?' And with a flick of his wrist, he tossed Snap Shot out the window. Snap Shot found himself flailing in the air for a while, screaming. But as he was about to reach the ground, he landed in a bush that broke his fall.   
  
Unfortunately, that bush turned out to be a wild thorn bush.   
  
'Ouch.'   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
Snap Shot sat on Glumshanks' little bed, pulling out thorns from his body. It was a little hard to do so without proper first-aid equipment, but he had to make do with what he had.   
  
He was certain that Kaos was not responsible for this change. If he was, he would have most certainly bragged about it to him. Kaos was not a subtle villain, and the fact that he acted confused when he questioned him probably meant that he had no part in this. Snap Shot also thought that he was pretty good at spotting liars, and Kaos didn't give off any signs that he was lying.   
  
But who was responsible then? He though.   
  
He figured that until he found out who did this, and how to get back to his body, he should try to lay low. This form was a good way to find out if he had any evil plots brewing, and information like that is unbelievably valuable. He could spy on Kaos to find out his latest scheme. They could even use it to stop Skylands' next big crisis before any damage was done.   
  
But while he checks on Kaos to see if he has any evil schemes brewing, he also needed to resolve several matters. For instance, how to get back to his original body. He had already decided that the most plausible thing that could have happened was that during a recent mission, he might have gotten cursed by someone. And now all he needed was to trace whoever cursed him, and get him or her to switch him and Glumshanks back.   
  
Except he did not come across any magic-using enemies yesterday. Nor the day before, nor the day before that. In fact, the last time he had to fight against a magic-user was when he was sent to deal with a small team of witches terrorizing a hamlet. And those witches specialized in element-based magic, not any advanced magic like body swapping.   
  
He pulled out a final thorn that was lodged behind his ear, and slumped down on the bed. Who could possibly do this to him? Of all the days, it had to happen on Halloween. It wasn't like he would have liked to swap bodies with Glumshanks any other day of the year, but today of all days?   
  
After all those months of planning and preparation, he was going to miss the final performance. He supposed that he could still go, but it would certainly cause suspicion if he was to go to the Academy looking like Glumshanks. He found it somewhat unfair that he couldn't even get to see the final performance, after all that work. He wouldn't be there to help out, or even to support his friends by watching them.   
  
But it was hardly his main concern, there were other matters to worry about. Is this swap permanent? Could he even find a way to turn back? What even caused this swap? Those questions swarmed his mind.   
  
But the one that he was the most concerned about was if he would he even get to see and work alongside his friends again?   
  
That was the question that scared him the most. If he couldn't convince anyone that he was in Glumshanks' body, who knows what life would be like for him now. But as scary as that thought was, he had to face the problem head on. And the first step was to figure out who was responsible.   
  
He began his search for any clues that may tip him off about how this swap occurred, beginning with Glumshanks' room. His gaze shifted to the side table. On it, there were only two things. The first was a red alarm clock that had woken him up earlier today. And the second object was a small slip of paper. Snap Shot picked it up to read.   
  
It was a fortune cookie fortune, but the strange thing was that it read the same fortune he got last night. Snap Shot read the fortune again to make sure he wasn't imagining it. Nope, it was still the same. It wasn't like it was a common fortune either. And looking closely at it, he realized that it was handwritten too. Just like the fortune he had last night.   
  
Could this have a link to what was going on?   
  
No, it was unlikely. The restaurant was just this tiny little establishment on a distant island. What are the odds that they would end up eating the same thing?   
  
Well, there's only one way to find out.   
  
He got off his bed, and hobbled out of the room.   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
It took a while, but eventually, Snap Shot found the kitchen. Kaos helped him out with this one, as he followed his calls from the dining hall to make him breakfast. 'I want my Frosty Flakes today, Glumshanks. And don't forget the extra sugar!'   
  
Snap Shot grabbed the box of cereal from the shelf, and poured it into the bowl. As he stirred the sweet breakfast cereal with more sugar, his thoughts drifted to the fortune cookies. He was usually a pretty good judge of character, and he thought that the pixie running the place was a sweet woman. She did not give off any bad impressions to him, but on the other hand, he had been wrong about others in the past, so she could have some ulterior motives that caused her to do this. If she was even responsible for this mess. He had a hunch that she was responsible, but again, that hunch could be wrong. He needed to find a few more clues to confirm that suspicion.   
  
He saw a large trash bin tucked away in the corner of the room, and figured that that would be an ideal place to start looking for any more clues. After all, if they ate from the same take-out place as they did, the trash should still be in there. Looking for clues was the only way he could confirm his suspicions.   
  
He walked over to it, and lifted the lid. When he did, he found the clues that he was looking for. Several white boxes sat there, with a familiar bright red logo printed on the side. So, they did have the same take-out that we did last night.   
  
Well, that answers one of the big questions. He thought. And I get the feeling that these boxes right here would be able to help me answer the other.


	3. The Nicest Kids in Town

Snap Shot stood in front of the small restaurant. It had been extremely hard to get here; he had to sneak onto no less than three airships to get to this remote island. It had been busy back at the lair too, which made sneaking out harder than it should have been. Apparently, all his minions were busy setting up traps for unsuspecting children. Although what kind of child would want to trick-or-treat at the most infamous villain in Skylands' house was beyond him. I don't think any kid would be that stupid. He thought.   
  
The place was mostly empty, and very quiet. Only the sound of the wind, and brief murmurs from inside the building could be heard. Snap Shot pushed through the glass door of the restaurant, entering the cool, air-conditioned room.   
  
There were tiny bells tied to the door-frame, and they rang when Snap Shot entered the building. There were only two other customers in the building – a pixie couple – and they both gave him a suspicious look, before returning to their meal. But every so often, they would look up, and they would shoot Snap Shot a suspicious glare. Snap Shot was not used to this kind of treatment, but he decided that he could deal with it for now.   
  
Snap Shot rang the bell at the counter a couple of times, pressing down at it hard. He could hear the couple talk about him, and it was rather annoying. Best to just figure out the problem, then get out of here fast.   
  
The sharp bell noise immediately summoned a pixie to the counter. She had ginger hair tied up in a messy bun, a round, pale face, and wore thick pointed eye-glasses. Snap Shot has seen her before. She was the owner of this restaurant.   
  
'Good morning, welcome to Lula's Bistro. My name is Ms Lula, and I'll be serving you. Would you like a seat, or are you here for take-out?'   
  
'Actually,' Began Snap Shot. 'I'm here 'cause of a different reason.'   
  
'Ya see, yesterday I was that crocagator that came in to buy the sixteen boxes of take-out.'   
  
Ms Lula raised an eyebrow. 'You were a crocagator?'   
  
Snap Shot nodded. 'I know it sounds kinda unbelievable, but just hear me out, okay?' She nodded tentatively.   
  
'So, after dinner, I had a fortune cookie. I didn't think much of it then, but when I woke up this morning, I was in this troll's body. And what's more, I found the same fortune beside his bed, even though I threw my fortune away.' He pulled out the fortune, and gave it to Ms Lula.   
  
She studied the paper carefully, squinting at it and trying to make out the words. Suddenly, a realization dawned on her. Her face began to change, going from a pale, ghost-like color shared by most pixies of her breed, to a bright red. 'Oberon! Come over here right now!'   
  
The moment she yelled out those words, a tall, lean pixie dressed in a yellow shirt and dirty white apron stepped out of the kitchen. 'Urgh, don't call me Oberon, Ma! It's Ron! What is it?'   
  
Ms Lula turned to face her son, looking up at him with an angry glare. 'Did you try to play any magical pranks on the fortune cookies yesterday?'   
  
Ron kicked the ground softly. He had a sheepish grin on his face, and he was obviously trying not to look his mother in the eye.   
  
'Well!?' Pushed Ms Lula.   
  
'Maybe…' He gave an awkward smile. Ms Lula slapped his hand.   
  
'Give me the spell book NOW!' Demanded Ms Lula. Her son immediately dashed into the kitchen, returning five minutes later with an old leather-bound spell book.   
  
Ms Lula grabbed the book from her son's hands, and started flipping through the pages. Almost instinctively, she stopped at the section on body-swap spells. (Snap Shot was impressed at how she could do that without looking at the page numbers.) She skimmed through the portion, reading with her finger moving across the page. Until she stopped at the final portion. She tapped that portion. 'There. How to reverse the spell.'   
  
Snap Shot took the book from her, and read the portion she indicated. 'When the two individuals involved with the body swap wish to swap back, they must recite this incantation together at the same time:   
  
This time we shared has been fun;   
  
But now our bonding is done;   
  
I've walked a mile in your shoes;   
  
Been through all your abuse;   
  
Now I'll never assume anyone.   
  
'So, all I have to do now is hunt down Glumshanks and get 'im to say this spell.' Mumbled Snap Shot under his breath. 'Well, that should be-'   
  
'GLUMSHANKS!' Called out a familiar voice from behind him. Begrudgingly, he turned around to see Kaos glaring back at him.   
  
'What are you doing here?! You know we need you back at MY SECRET EVIL LAIR! It's Halloween! We need to prepare the pranks before the kids come out to trick-or-treat!' He was dragging Snap Shot by the ear again, pulling him away from the island.   
  
Kaos dragged Snap Shot onto a ship piloted by some drow elves. That was when he let him go. They sat in silence for a little while.   
  
Snap Shot decided that it was the perfect time to ask him about his evil plan. 'So, what's the newest evil scheme you've cooked up?'   
  
'I think I'm going to need more time to decide on it. I can tell it's going to be my best one yet! I can feel it. But I just need to figure it out. Of course, it does mean today you'll be setting up the decorations without my supervision, but I think you can handle it. I should figure it out by this afternoon. I'll tell you about it when I'm done.'   
  
That settled it. Snap Shot decided then that he would stay until Kaos revealed to him his plan, and then head back to the Academy to see the performance and swap back with Glumshanks. It was the best plan he could think of under such short notice, but he would do anything to get that information on his latest scheme. Besides, what could go wrong?   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
'Well, you guys sure did a great job on this haunted house.' Said Splat, grinning at Short Cut.   
  
'I know right! We all really put in a lot of effort into this, and I'm glad that you like it. Speaking of effort, do you like the costumes? Because I spent all night getting them right! Everyone on my level of the hostel weren't very happy about it for some reason. They even tried to…' The little phantom buzzed on and on with the pink faun, bouncing up and down with each word, and waving his little pair of scissors precariously. Splat tried her best to follow the conversation, but it was a little hard to follow his train of thought when he was undergoing a sugar rush.   
  
'I think that's our cue to go in.' Whispered Knight Mare. 'While he's distracted.' She had had to put up with him throughout the night and into the morning, including bringing him up for breakfast. It was hectic, and she really wanted to go through this full-dress rehearsal without a hitch.   
  
Glumshanks nodded, then went into the haunted house with her.   
  
He was wearing his costume; a dark grey coat with a white button-up undershirt, and a blue bow-tie. Knight Mare wore a similar outfit, as they were both going to be the guides in this event.   
  
Earlier, he had found the cast list, along with several other notes, for this event in Snap Shot's drawer. From what he could gather, the Skylanders were preparing for their annual Halloween festival, and this year the Trap Team was performing a retelling of the old undead folktale "The Journey Under" in that old haunted house, for whatever reason. Well, that explains the costumes.   
  
He stood beside Knight Mare, in the dark hallway. It was a surprisingly well-built hallway for something that was obviously home-made. There were even working sconces on the wall. Glumshanks took a closer look around, and noticed that there was a small hole underground. In it, he saw two pairs of eyes peeping out, looking focused. They seemed to be watching Glumshanks carefully. There was complete silence. A few minutes passed by, and still nothing happened.   
  
'Well, aren't you going to give us the cue?' Asked Knight Mare.   
  
Glumshanks didn't know that he was supposed to cue the performance. 'Uh, well then, you may begin now.'   
  
Immediately, the two eyes looked down, and the lights dimmed. Suddenly, a fast swooping sound was heard, and a tall, hooded figure materialized in front of him.   
  
'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Haunted House of Terrors and Tales. I am your story-teller for tonight, but you may address me as Enigma. Tonight, you have chosen to enter the world of folk lore. You will enter a world of tragedy. A world of kindness. A world of wonder and excitement and friendship. You may have heard of this story in your childhood, or you may have never heard it in your life. But whatever is it, just stand back, trust our guides and myself, and enjoy our story.'   
  
Suddenly, Enigma picked up the corner of his cloak. He swirled it around, turning invisible in the process. For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, without warning, a louder, booming voice was heard, as Enigma began the story. 'Ladies and Gentlemen! The Trap Team presents to you all, after months of hard work and preparation, "The Journey Under"!'   
  
At that, Knight Mare began to move forward. Glumshanks followed suit.   
  
They moved a little forward, until Knight Mare stopped in front of a little room. They stood in front of the room, one person on each side. But Glumshanks was curious about what was going on in the room, and turned his head slightly to get a sneak peek.   
  
Immediately, the dark room faded into light, where he could clearly see the interior. The room was mostly barren, the only furniture in it being a long, wooden table in the middle of the room. A large, red-headed woman wearing a simple white dress was lying on the table. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were folded on her chest. Glumshanks recalled her name, Head Rush. 'Many, many years ago,' Began Enigma, 'There was a young lady who lived in a village. This young lady was the kindest in the land, beloved by all. But one day, she found herself in the Underworld.'   
  
At that cue, Head Rush opened her eyes. She stretched, as if she was waking up. 'Good morning!' She jumped slightly from shock. 'Oh! Where am I?!'   
  
'You are in The Underworld, darling.' Called a voice from behind her. Head Rush turned to look around.   
  
'Who said that?'   
  
'I did.' A walking suit of armor came into view, his arms folded behind his back. He wore a plum coloured cape, and walked with tall, proud strides. Glumshanks remembered him as Krypt King.   
  
'Why are we in The Underworld?'   
  
Krypt King leaned in to talk to her. 'In the dead of the night,' He whispered, 'A horrible evil gang attacked your village, and the brutes had killed you too! So, now you are down here.'   
  
Head Rush buried her face into her knees. 'It can't be…'   
  
'But don't worry, my dear. Being undead isn't all bad. Come, you may stay in my mansion while you're here.' The two of them walked out of the scene after that exchange.   
  
Enigma continued his narration. 'Little did the lady know, that that man was not to be trusted! That was a young man from the Underworld. A rich socialite, who had seen her one day on the Surface, and had decided that she will be his bride, no matter what! So, in the dead of night, he had kidnapped her and brought her to the Underworld. Hoping that he could charm her into being his bride.'   
  
'But the lady did not know that. And she trusted that he was a good man, as she was innocent and nice. It looks bleak, but she was not captured without anyone knowing about it. Someone saw her capture.'   
  
They began moving again, Knight Mare once again taking the lead while Glumshanks trailed behind. The lights in the room behind them dimmed. They stopped in front of the next room, as the lights in this one went on. Glumshanks took another peek in, and saw that this time, the room contained the smallest tree elf that he has ever seen. Usually, tree elves were towering giants. Glumshanks recognized him as Bushwhack.   
  
'The previous night, a young man had seen her being captured by the socialite, and was determined to get her back.'   
  
Bushwhack began reciting his lines. 'I will go on a quest to find her now! Years ago, she helped my family when my mother was sick, so I must help her now!' He proclaimed, as he walked off into the next room.   
  
Knight Mare immediately walked towards the next room, which was directly next to the previous. Is there some sort of tunnel connecting both rooms? Thought Glumshanks. He gave the room a closer look, and sure enough, there was a small passageway to the next room.   
  
He walked to the next room to continue the story, just as the lights in the previous room began to fade. He stood by the door again, looking at the room from the corner of his eye again. Once again, the lights went on. This time, the room contained a small, papier-mâché tree stump. On it rested a man made of dark clouds. He was wearing a long purple robe, and leaned on a wooden shepherd's staff. When Bushwhack walked in from the passage, the cloud man looked up.   
  
'When he went out of the little village, he encountered an old shepherd in the meadows outside. The young boy decided that he could possibly tell him where his bride had gone, so he went up to him to ask.'   
  
Bushwhack went up to the cloud man gingerly. 'Uhh… hello sir. I am a young man from the village down there. I am also looking for a young woman. Have you seen any young women pass by here?'   
  
The cloud man, Thunderbolt rubbed his chin. 'Hmm, I think I recalled seeing a young girl pass by here at night. She was being carried by a skeleton, if I recall correctly. They were headed towards there.' He pointed downwards.   
  
'This alarmed the boy greatly. He knew that that meant that the kind lady had most likely been taken to the Underworld. But he, just like everyone in his village, was terrified of the Underworld. And for good reason. Rumor had it that once you enter the Underworld, you could never come back up. But he decided that he must at least try to get her back, so he made the choice to go down there. No matter what.'   
  
'I will go down to the Underworld to find her! No matter what!' Parroted the tree elf.   
  
'Hold on,' Began Thunderbolt. 'You cannot go alone! I will ask my four sons to come along with you. They all wish for adventure; they do not wish to become shepherds like me. I will ask them to accompany you as companions.'   
  
The light faded slightly, as the two men held still. The narration continued over that. 'Now, climb upstairs, for the adventure will continue there.'   
  
As Glumshanks walked up the dark staircase, he realized that there were a few wooden boards laid out on the stairs. He figured that they were set up for anyone that needed a wheelchair, so that they could see the show. How nice   
  
The next room that Glumshanks saw had Head Rush in it again. This time, she sat crossed legged. A ginger colored cat sat on her left, holding a small sack. On her right sat a sort of robot. Glumshanks was certain that she was female.   
  
'In the Underworld, the lady began making friends with the citizens. At first, she was reluctant to, but she soon found out about the troubles of the undead, and she went to help them out.'   
  
Head Rush gave two sacks labelled "food" to the two girls. The ginger cat, Tuff Luck, began to speak. 'Thank ya fer helping us, lass. Most people think that all of us living in the Underworld are monsters. But you've been nothing but kind to us. Why is that?'   
  
'Well, I just see people who need my help, and I help them! It's not really that hard.' She smiled.   
  
'Whatever the reason,' Said the robot, Gearshift. 'I am glad you are so kind! Not many are like this to people like us!' Tuff Luck and Gearshift left the room.   
  
Head Rush pulled out a flask. 'My host gave me this flask of juice to drink. He said that it tasted lovely, and I should try it.' She took a swig. After she did, her eyes widened, as if she was realizing something.   
  
'I-I love my host!'   
  
The scene faded to darkness, causing the narration to start up. 'But while she was making friends, the groom was making plans.'   
  
In the next room, there were two figures. One was the walking armor from earlier, now wearing a plum colored suit and a clashing orange tie. The other was a golden lion, who wore plain white and blue robes. They huddled in a circle, and spoke in hushed voices.   
  
'So, if I agree to wed you to this girl, then you would promise me a place in your mansion, is that right?' Went the lion, Wildfire.   
  
'Of course.' Confirmed Krypt King. 'You shall be paid handsomely, of course. And a lifelong stay at my own home.' He paused. 'But what about anyone who comes after her? She was well liked in her old village.'   
  
Wildfire chuckled. 'I have sent a colleague of mine to deal with anyone who tries. Trust me, you will not have to worry.'   
  
The lights dimmed, and the two of them moved on again. As the lights came on in the next room, he realized that there were now five people in the room. Standing beside Bushwhack was Wallop, Snap Shot's best friend and second-in-command for the Trap Team. Standing right next to him was a tall, muscular man with bright red skin. In front of him was a small lobster. And finally, there was a large blue man, who had a round, cheerful face. The five of them stood right in the centre of the big, empty room, looking like they were ready to take on the world.   
  
'The five companions walked for days. The journey to the Underworld was a long one, and there were several obstacles in the way.'   
  
The narration turned out to be correct. Immediately, a large papier-mâché boulder was rolled onto the set.   
  
'A boulder? Now!?' Recited Wallop.   
  
'What do we do?!' Went Bushwhack. He was pretending to desperately push the boulder, making large struggling sounds as he heaved.   
  
The red man, Ka-Boom stepped up to him. 'I know! I will use my strength to move the boulder out of the way!'   
  
He did just that, easily picking the boulder up with one hand and throwing it out of sight. Bushwhack smiled. 'Thank you.' He smiled.   
  
The group inched forward a little, before another obstacle came. This time, a large plush monster was thrown in their path. It looked rather lizard-like, with a lopsided tongue sticking out. On cue, everyone screamed.   
  
Everyone, except for one man. 'Stand back, everyone!' Exclaimed the blue man, Gusto. 'I will fight this lizard! Hand to hand!'   
  
He walked up to the lizard, holding a long rope. Using it, he lassoed the beast, looping the rope around it in quick circles. 'I am victorious!' He cheered, as he held up the plush toy, bound with rope.   
  
They walked into the next room through another linking passageway. The lights faded as Glumshanks and Knight Mare followed the group. In it, there was a thin cardboard wall slotted in, almost like a barrier to the next exit. The five men clamored into the room, all stopping at the cardboard.   
  
'What is it?' Said Bushwhack.   
  
'It appears to be some sort of puzzle.' Said the lobster, Lob-Star. 'Stand back! I'm good with puzzles. Let me do it.'   
  
The others gave him his space, and the lobster went to work. He pretended to tap on a keyboard, until he swung the cut-out door open. 'Easy!' He said.   
  
The five walked through the hole that was cut out, where they met their final challenge.   
  
'Halt!' Cried a voice. Immediately, a winged man flew into the scene. He wore red and black robes, and carried with him a small pocketknife. 'Who are you?'   
  
'The young boy explained to this stranger who he was and what he came down for.'   
  
This prompted the winged man, Knight Light, to give a confused look. 'Bu-but, I laid out traps to stop you! My business partner told me that tonight he would wed a happy couple, and that I must stop any unwanted guest!   
  
'Unwanted?!' Went Bushwhack. 'She always said that if she was to get married, she would invite her entire village!'   
  
'She did? But that can't be!'   
  
The final man walked in between the two of them. 'Now, now. Calm down you two. Sir,' He directed the question to the winged man. 'has your business partner ever lied to you?'   
  
'Well, now that you bring it up, yes!' Knight Light clenched his fist. 'I knew there was something amiss. But I didn't trust my intuition! Darn it!'   
  
'They're being wedded tonight, you say?' Asked Bushwhack frantically 'How much longer do we have!?'   
  
'Well, we can still catch them…'   
  
'Then let's go! We don't have time to waste!' The scene ended there, the lights having been cut.   
  
'Follow the story upstairs for the conclusion!' Went the narrator. Glumshanks turned to the nearest staircase.   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
Unlike the other floors, the third room was structured like an attic. The furniture in it was set up like a traditional wedding. The room was decked with white lace and roses, with a grand wedding arch standing in the center of the room. Underneath the arch was Head Rush and Krypt King, their hands joint in front of Wildfire. The villagers stood at one side, beaming happily. The lights went on, and the lion began to speak. 'Now, I'm sure we know why we are all gathered here today, so let's just get this done with.' He cleared his throat. 'And if any of you have any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace.'   
  
'WE OBJECT!' Called out six loud voices, as the owners of those voices all leaped up from behind a table at the side, jumped on it and made their presence known.   
  
'I know exactly what you're doing, partner!' Yelled Knight Light. Wildfire shot him an angry look.   
  
'What did he do?' Asked Tuff Luck and Gearshift.   
  
'He lied to everyone in this place!' Revealed Bushwhack. He looked angrily at the lion and suit of armor, gritting his teeth. 'They kidnapped her from my village!'   
  
The two girls looked at them, betrayed. 'Is that true?'   
  
'Of course, it's true!' Cried Knight Light.   
  
'I thought that she was willingly wedded!' Went Tuff Luck.   
  
Suddenly, Gearshift spoke up. 'Actually, I found this in the fields earlier.' She showed a flask. The same flask that Head Rush took a swig out of.   
  
Lob-Star took the flask from her, and sniffed it. 'It smells like a love potion.'   
  
'She looks like she's under a love potion too! Look, her eyes are glazed! She hasn't even spoke up!' Went Bushwhack.   
  
Wildfire and Krypt King panicked as they saw the dirty looks of the villagers. 'Alright! They tell the truth! Bye!'   
  
'Hey! Come back here!' Called out the girls as the two men bolted. They dropped their bouquets on the floor, as they chased after them. For a while, there was an awkward silence.   
  
After a while, the narrator broke that silence. 'So, with the Corrupt Judge and the Evil Groom chased out of the village by the villagers, the smartest of the sons began to figure out a way to break the spell.'   
  
'Here,' said Lob-Star. 'Give this to her.'   
  
Another flask was given to her, and when they pretended to pour the liquid into her mouth, Head Rush blinked rapidly, as if walking up from a daze 'Wh-what happened?'   
  
'I will tell you later. But for now, you need to go home.' Said Bushwhack. But when he was about to leave, Head Rush stopped him.   
  
'I can't leave now! I have made friends down here, and they will need me to help them. I know that the undead might seem creepy, but they are good folks. Just give them a chance!'   
  
'The boys were skeptical at first, but she encouraged them to spend a little more time in the Underworld. When they did, they found that the citizens really were just needing kindness. So, the decided to live down here, and help the needy undead citizens. And they all lived happily ever after. The end!'   
  
The lights dimmed for a final time, before coming on again. Everyone walked to the center of the room, and took a bow.   
  
Glumshanks had to admit, he was impressed. Sure, it was not the best thing out there, but it was still passable. It was clear that they were trying very hard. And he could appreciate the effort.   
  
Almost immediately after Glumshanks though that, a small phantom popped out from a previously unseen trap door, clapping and cheering. 'Whooo! That was awesome guys! You did great!'   
  
A small purple man floated out from the trap door after him. 'Splat went back to set up the face-painting booth up, so Short Cut got bored and came down here.' The shadowed man, Enigma, went up to him, and returned him a small microphone.   
  
A large, bulky robot lumbered out of the trap door beside him, closing the door on the way out. 'In my defense, I did try to control him down there while Blastermind did the effects. But Short was pretty hyper. So, sorry if they were a little slow.'   
  
'They seemed alright to me.' Went Glumshanks. The robot, Jawbreaker, smiled.   
  
'Thanks.'   
  
'Anything to say to us, Snap?' Asked Wallop. The Trap Masters all turned their attention to him.   
  
Glumshanks panicked. What was he supposed to say? Looking at the eager faces staring at him, he decided that the best thing he could do was wing it. 'Uh, well, Enigma,' He began.   
  
'Enigma, good job on that invisibility magic thingy. And great job on the narration.'   
  
'Thank you.' He said. 'I hope the new invisible narrator trick was okay.'   
  
'Oh, well, it is.' Glumshanks grinned. That was new? He pulled it off surprisingly well.   
  
Glumshanks went on to try and give a little constructive feedback to the other Trap Masters. They all paid close attention to his words, nodding and taking note of possible improvements. It feels pretty good to be listened to. He thought.   
  
Although he was not sure how it happened, him giving out feedback eventually derailed into a series of inside jokes among the Trap Masters. Most of it was led by Short Cut, but everyone contributed some form of joke. Glumshanks spectated through the jokes. To his surprise, he found himself laughing, even though half the jokes did not make sense to him. They were all mainly inside jokes, and rather nonsensical ones at that. He felt a peculiar feeling inside him that he couldn't name exactly.   
  
But whatever that feeling was, he loved it. He loved this feeling that he felt when he was around the team. It was a feeling of camaraderie, of friendship, of love and trust and laughter. He never thought that he would get to experience something like this, but here he was. There was a feeling that everyone here loved to laugh and joke with each other, but when the going gets tough, they would still stand by each other. It was beautiful.   
  
In the midst of the chatter, Glumshanks noticed the centaur woman, Knight Mare, look at him curiously. An eyebrow was raised, and she seemed to be deep in thought. As if she was analyzing something.   
  
Suddenly, a shrill siren pierced through the air. He snapped his head up, searching for the source of the sound, which came from a speaker system outside. A loud booming voice followed the alarm given.   
  
'Trap Team, please head down to the library for your mission briefings now. Thank you.'


	4. Bye Bye Birdie

Glumshanks walked out of the airship, clutching a Traptanium bow, with a quiver full of arrows behind his back. Beside him, Knight Mare, Knight Light, and Short Cut jumped out confidently, their respective weapons at the ready. Must not panic! I must not panic! I must- he repeated the mantra over and over again.

Here he was, on an official Skylander mission. Master Eon had sent him and his team out to a small, obscure island. 'According to some sources,' Said Master Eon, 'there have been reports of some sort of beast haunting the Factory Fields. The residents there said that it had just showed up, and they were worried that it might be due to a wanted villain. They claimed that it looked like a genetic experiment gone wrong. So, your mission is to collect more information about it, and stop the mutation from terrorizing the town folk.' Before Glumshanks could ask any questions, Master Eon was busy briefing the next team about their mission.

Now Glumshanks stood in front of a large, abandoned factory building. It was obvious that it had seen better days, with its windows shattered, its walls cracked with creepers growing out of them, and its gates rusty and barely able to close. Knight Light flew down next to him, pulling out a piece of paper that he had gotten from Hugo. He looked at it carefully.

'This is the place.' He nodded.

Glumshanks gingerly opened the gate, pushing it forward with a 'CREAK!'

Everyone froze. Except for Short Cut. He was still fidgeting from the sugar rush, but his movements were notably smaller as he tensed up. Everyone waited, anticipating someone to come out of the factory building.

A minute passed, and still, nobody came. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. And made their way into the building. 'Whew! It's a good thing we still have our element of surprise, right guys?' blurted out Short Cut. The two knights clamped a hand each on him immediately, 'Shush!' They hissed.

Suddenly, a low moaning sound came from the building. The two knights glared at the remorseful Short Cut, as they all got their weapons ready. Glumshanks reached for an arrow in the quiver, he hands shaking uncontrollably. He placed the huge arrow on his bow, and tried to aim it at the door.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, several large shadowed beings burst through the door, snarling at the team. Everyone fought hard. Short Cut fought one group, snipping his large shears at them. Knight Mare slashed her sword at another group, occasionally blowing her dark magic onto them. One of the beasts attempted to attack her with its long, curved horns, but it only narrowly missed her. Across the field, the vicious beasts cornered Knight Light. But before they could attack, Knight Light jumped into the air. The knight brought his sword down for a prismatic pounce, which gave him more space to fight them.

But the largest of the beasts settled on Glumshanks. It had identified him as their leader, and ran up to him. Glumshanks backed away from the beast, aiming the bow at it. He tried to shoot at it, but all his arrows merely fell at his feet. He reached into his quiver to try again, but to his horror, it was empty. The large beast growled at him, teeth bared and drooling. Glumshanks backed away faster, until he hit the wall. There was nowhere to escape now. He grabbed around for something, anything, that could help him out. His hand landed on the door frame. Quickly, he dashed through the hole. The beast made chase.

Glumshanks felt a little guilty leaving his team-mates outside to fight, but he couldn't dwell on it now. His pounding heart fueled him, powering him through the factory. The beast was on his tail. Glumshanks took the first rout he saw to escape. He climbed up stair after stair to get away from it. But the beast simply followed him up. Eventually, he arrived at the top floor. There were no other stairs to climb; the rooftop was not accessible. There was nowhere for him to run.

Glumshanks looked around the room, trying to look for anything to fend the beast off. He had dropped his bow somewhere along the way. The beast snarled at him, slowly making its way to Glumshanks. He looked around, the only things that were in the room were old cardboard boxes that had turned soft. Hardly the best thing to use for attacks, but it was his only shot. He picked up the first box on his side and chucked it at the beast. He missed it by an inch.

It was a strange being, looking like a mix of a puma and a ram. It looked like a shadow being, but if you were to touch it, it was as solid as could be. And in the center of its face, lay two blank, mustard yellow eyes.

Suddenly, the door burst open once again. The two knights and Short Cut ran towards him. It was clear that they had been injured in battle. Knight Mare had a large slash on her leg, and was obviously running with a bit of trouble. Short Cut had a few seams tearing out, although he didn't seem to mind. But Knight Light had it the worst out of them all. His wings roughed up and mangled, and there were even a few traces of blood on them. It was clear he was now earthbound.

They sprang into action. Knight Mare blew her horn at the beast, casting her dark magic onto it. Short Cut darted around it, snipping and stabbing at it with a big grin on his face. But Knight Light charged at the beast head on. He swung his sword down at it, causing the beast to turn his efforts onto him. But in a quick movement, Knight Mare grabbed her sword and slashed towards the beast. At that, it cocked its head up towards her, and began to attack her. But just as it was about to sink its teeth into Knight Mare, something sharp stabbed his side. It turned to see who had done that, and saw a laughing puppet dangling in front of it. The beast ripped the puppet apart, but immediately after he did so, he was pushed against the window by a burst of light.

Knight Light brought his sword down, while the beast dodged his attack. He launched his body for a pounce, but before he could leap forward, he felt another sharp sting on his back. He looked up, and saw Short Cut jabbing it with needles. With a quick flick of his tail, he threw him towards a shattered window.

'NO!' Screamed Knight Light, as he dashed to stop his friend from falling three stories.

Seeing that he was distracted, the beast turned his attention towards Glumshanks again. It charged at him, greedy eyes staring directly at him. Glumshanks squeezed his own eyes shut, expecting his painful demise to come form that beast.

Only, it never came.

He opened an eye, and when he did, Knight Mare was fighting with the beast. Her large sword came down hard on the beast. But it was barely affected. The beast bared its sharp teeth at her, and pounced. Knight Mare attempted to push it away. She successfully did so. It was pushed down directly in front of Glumshanks.

Glumshanks grabbed the first thing he found – a medium-sized box – and threw it at the beast. He used as much strength as he could to do so, and pushed it towards the window. The beast slid towards the fragile glass, being pushed by the box. But when it was mere center-meters away from the window, it attempted to run away. In its dazed stupor, it ran in the wrong direction to escape.

He ran at top speed right into Knight Light. As the knight attempted to step over it and catch it, the beast's large horns bumped into his legs, tripping him. The knight attempted to stabilize himself, but his foot only struck the beast. Kicking it, and bringing him down with him.

The glass shattered, as two bodies fell through it. The shadow creature turned into a wisp the minute it hit the floor. The knight had no such protection. He didn't even have functioning wings.

He landed heavily, after that long, long trip.

OoOoOoOoOo

Glumshanks sat outside the sick bay, twiddling his thumbs. Across him sat Short Cut, who walked in to check on Knight Light every five minutes, and Knight Mare, who sat there patiently. They were all anxious. For a while, no one spoke. Short Cut entered the sick bay again, leaving just Knight Mare, and himself.

Knight Mare finally stopped the silence. 'Snap Shot, I need to talk to you.'

Glumshanks froze. 'Uhh, why?'

'It's about your behavior today.' She began. 'You don't seem to be yourself.'

Glumshanks laughed nervously. 'Well, why would you say that? Who else would I be if I wasn't myself? That's nothing you should be worried about.'

Internally, Glumshanks was panicking away. What would happen if the Trap Masters found out that he was now in their leader's body? Would they react well, or would it only stir up animosity? Especially with what just happened. He really liked the Trap Masters too, they were some of the nicest people he had ever met, even if some of their methods could be shady. Saying that he would hate to stop being their friend would be an understatement. He wondered what would happen if he was caught? Would he get thrown into Cloudcracker? He would not survive a day there! He needed to keep this masquerade up somehow. He needed to come up with an excuse.

'If you really want to know what I'm concerned about,' Began Knight Mare. 'it's the fact that you're more unfocused today. I mean, during the fight, you couldn't shoot a single arrow at the beast! Not one! And look at what that cost us! Besides that, there's also the rehearsal. Today's the day of the performance, and we've only ran through the thing once! By now, you would have made us run through it at least three times. And I saw the way you were looking at the performance earlier. You weren't looking at it as carefully as you did yesterday. In fact, I don't think you were looking at it carefully at all! You looked more like you were spectating instead of directing.' She paused. 'Snap Shot, are you sick or something?'

Glumshanks looked at Knight Mare, her eyes piercing him. He wondered if she secretly knew what was going on. Did she know?

'Uh, well, no. I'm feeling perfectly fine.' He stuttered. 'I'm, uh, just feeling a little overworked. Yeah, that's it.'

Knight Mare raised an eyebrow. 'Sure. You're "just fine."' She folded her arms. 'Look, Snap, one friend to another, but if that's the problem, you can always ask one of us to cover for you or help you out for something. I get that your team leader and that comes with responsibilities, but we're a team. A family. And we'd always look out for each other, no matter what the problem. Heck, you were the one who taught me that! Even if it's something like paperwork, it's fine! Just ask! If not, we end up in situations like this!'

Knight Mare's angry glare pierced Glumshanks again, but this time, he noticed that it was laced with other emotions. Concern, worry, disappointment, confusion, they were all mixed in. Glumshanks could barely stand to look at her, but he could not look away. Her glare was magnetic.

'You're right, Knight Mare. I should probably tell you guys about my problems.' She didn't reply.

She didn't reply for several minutes. Even when Short Cut came back, she remained silent. The silence dragged on, making Glumshanks impatient and anxious. The silence was intense. Only when Mags came in, did she say anything.

Mags said that Knight Light was alright, relatively speaking. 'Knight Light's alright now. He's luckier than a ladybug to survive a fall like that. With only a few broken limbs too.'

'Well, at least the injuries aren't too bad.' Said Short Cut. 'But if he needs any stitches, be sure to call on me, okay?'

Mags chuckled, 'Sure Short Cut.'

Knight Mare spoke up. 'Well, that's a relief. Good thing it wasn't worst.' She frowned. 'But that means we're going to need a new Judge. If not, we're going to have to cancel.'

Short Cut jumped up. 'But we can't do that! We've been preparing it for months! I even told everyone from my village to come!

'But we don't have anyone who can fulfill the role. Who could possibly do it?'

Glumshanks stood up, 'I'll do it!' He knew that this was his chance to make it up to everyone. To the Trap Masters, Knight Mare, Knight Light, everyone. The show needs to go on, after all. He couldn't let all their hard work go to waste. Besides, he saw their performance, and Knight Light's lines were short and easy enough to memorize right away.

'Alright!' Went Short Cut. He was still buzzing a little, but he looked like he was about to crash soon. 'I'll go and modify his costume.' He hopped out of the room, into the corridor.

Mags returned to the sick bay, 'I hafta go back in an' help Hugo out. Poor fella's up to his chin in work. Sharpfin went to help Flynn get somethin', an' Cali, Tessa an' Buzz are out trainin', so it's just us here.' She walked back into the sick bay, leaving Knight Mare and Glumshanks alone in the hall.

'You're not still mad at me, are you?' Asked Glumshanks tentatively.

To his relief, Knight Mare replied a no. 'It's time to focus more on the other issues now. But are you sure you're up to the task, Snap?' Her arms were still crossed, and her voice was a little cold.

'Yes.' Confirmed Glumshanks. 'It's the least that I can do to make up for what happened today. Now, let's go check and see if everyone's returned. We will all have some lunch and check to see if anyone else is injured before going through a few more rehearsals. Got it?'

Knight Mare nodded. 'Sure.' She tightened her lips. 'But, you really can't act at all. That was why we didn't cast you in the first place.'

Glumshanks thought of an excuse. 'I've been practicing! I think I'll be fine now.'

Knight Mare thought for a little while before she sighed. She was clearly out of options now. 'Alright then.' And galloped off to find the other Trap Masters.

OoOoOoOoOo

Snap Shot picked himself up for the fifth time that day. He ignored the mocking laughter of Kaos' minions as he brushed off the dirt, and stormed off. He had been spending his entire morning pretending to set up traps for the unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. Although he was actually setting up harmless pranks and leaving candy around for them. (He had found a small jar of candy in Kaos' lair, and had taken a few pieces.) But as he did this, the rest of Kaos' minions were constantly pulling pranks on him.

They had spent the entire morning giving him a hard time. Whether it was the spell punks casting small prank spells on him, drow elves flicking pumpkin gloop at him, or cyclopses randomly tripping him when he wasn't looking, they seemed to take every opportunity to bully him.

The first time the minions tripped him, Snap Shot went up to the drow elf and asked him what was that for. 'It amused me.' Shrugged the elf. His friends snickered behind him.

'If that's the only reason, then you better apologize.'

'Oh, yeah?' Laughed the elf. 'And what are you gonna do about it?'

Snap Shot hesitated, as he realized that there was not much he could do in his current state. The drow elf chuckled as he saw his face fall. 'Let me give you a little reminder on what I will do.' And with one quick motion, he picked up Snap Shot by his head.

Eventually, he placed him into a nearby trash bin. It turns out that there were other bins in Kaos' lair. They were just outside.

After a while, Snap Shot soon learned that the best way to survive the minions' harassment was to just ignore them and keep going. In this form, he was less physically capable than them, and it was probably wiser to keep quiet. He still walked with as much dignity as he could muster, although at this point it was not much. Nevertheless, he still stood up straight, and kept his head up and aware of any legs in his path meant to trip him.

A whistle blew in the distance, signifying the start of lunch hour. The minions began to take off, chatting among themselves on the way to the lunch hall. Snap Shot walked there alone. He silently queued up with the other trolls and drow elves in Kaos' arsenal to get his lunch. Ignoring the rowdy behavior of those around him, he grabbed a semi-clean tray, and served himself something that looked edible.

On his tray was a few small cubes of pink, spongy meat, soaked in gravy. There was also another small plate of some other meat that looked like canned spam. He was also lucky enough to salvage a small cup of water along with his meal. Snap Shot grabbed a fork, and searched the crowded cafeteria for an empty seat.

He found a small space between a few benches that he had managed to squeeze into. He picked up his fork, and shoved a small mouthful of the spongy meat into his mouth. It was surprisingly hard to chew, almost as if it was made out of wet clay. The gross mess stuck to the roof of his mouth. Snap Shot reached for the cup of water, and emptied half of it out. He sloshed the water around his mouth, until he eventually unstuck the meat.

He decided that the cubes of meat weren't worth eating, and decided to start on the spam. But just as he was about to eat it, a whiny voice rang through the cafeteria. 'GLUMSHANKS!'

Snap Shot cocked his head up. Standing at the entrance of the room was Kaos, his arms folded. He spotted his butler in the crowd, and began to make his way towards him. The crowd of minions parted as he walked across, all eyes on them.

Kaos glared at Snap Shot, 'What are you doing here? I thought that we agreed that when the lunch bell rings, you would come to see me first to prepare my lunch!'

Snap Shot raised an eyebrow. 'Did I?'

'Yes, Glumshanks. My superior memory remembers it clearly. You were supposed to cook my food before you had your own lunch. Now, come here.' Kaos said. He grabbed Glumshanks by the ear and dragged him out of the cafeteria, the other minions watching the scene intensely.

OoOoOoOoOo

Kaos decided not to throw him out the window as punishment this time. Instead, he chose to send him to the nearest queue for food he could find. 'It's not the Skylands DMV, but it's close enough. Besides, it mixes things up a little. I can't give you the same punishment all the time!'

Snap Shot had been waiting in the queue for nearly an hour by now, and he was not even close to the cashier. From what he could tell, he was queueing up for some fast food joint. There was supposedly some sort of "Spooky Burger" that was a limited time offer.

Snap Shot glanced around him. The sun was surprisingly hot in this area, and all around him the others queuing up looked hot, upset, and bored. He was beginning to feel a little bored himself. It was weird, but now that he was in a warm-blooded body, the heat bothered him. He was in a warmer part of Skylands, and it felt rather draining. The heat didn't energize him like it usually would.

Snap Shot missed his body.

Snap Shot missed his life.

But most of all, Snap Shot missed his friends. Among the Skylanders, he was an equal. He was treated fairly, and with respect. No one could be a jerk and get away with it. Anyone who bullied, tormented, or otherwise mistreated someone else without realizing the error of their ways never lasted long. And if someone acted unacceptably, and they were truly sorry for their actions, they would be forgiven. He thought that it was fair.

But with the villains, it was a different story. Every one of Kaos' minions seemed to gang up on him. To the other minions, they were the predators, and he was the prey. Many of them picked on him, and those who did not, ignored his struggles. It was frustrating how they would just let injustices happen like that. His team would never let anything like that happen.

His thoughts drifted back to his team. He wondered what they would be doing right now. Have they found out about Glumshanks yet? If so, what would they be doing to him right now? They would probably interrogate him on the matter. He knew his team, and they probably would have gone to Kaos' lair to rescue him. They have not arrived, which meant they were either stuck in traffic, or they have not found out about the switch. The skies were pretty clear today, so it was most likely the latter.

In that case, they were probably rehearsing for the performance. He sighed, remembering the months of preparation that he and his team went through to put on the performance. He would not be there to witness the fruit of their labor, unless he left for the Academy. He needed to get there somehow, no matter the risk. But how would he get there?

'Hey, mister. How may I help you?' A grouchy voice asked.

Snap Shot turned his attention to the lady at the counter. 'Took you long enough. Now, how may I help you?'

Snap Shot quickly made an order of two cheeseburgers. 'You want soda with that?' Asked the mabu lady.

'No thanks.' Replied Snap Shot. And off he went.

OoOoOoOoOo

He sat under a tree, next to Kaos, as they ate their cheeseburgers. He watched as Kaos removed the pickles from his burger and tucked them into his napkin. Said napkin was now wrapped in a tight, soggy ball on the ground.

'So, Lord Kaos,' Began Snap Shot. 'Have you thought of an evil plan yet?' It was weird calling him a title like "Lord Kaos", but in order to get him to reveal his plan, he needed to remain inconspicuous.

'Not yet, Glummy. But it's coming to me! I can feel it! I know it will come soon!' He finished his burger. 'I need to use the bathroom now. Stay right here.'

Snap Shot sighed. He had just wasted his entire day doing menial labor for the Skylanders' worst enemy. What a way to have spent his day. He couldn't stand it! He needed to return to his body. But he needed a plan to get back to the Academy, where his body and Glumshanks would most likely be.

From a distance, he saw an airship coming nearer towards the island. He squinted his eyes, it looked familiar from here. It almost looked like Sharpfin's ship! But that couldn't be, what would Sharpfin be doing here? He was probably just seeing things.

The ship drew closer, revealing itself to actually be Sharpfin's ship, surprising Snap Shot. He abandoned his burger on the ground, carefully creeping closer to the ship. As he got closer, he saw the dirt shark walk off the ship, Flynn strutting behind him.

'I don't get why you just have to come here to get food, Flynn!' Went Sharpfin. 'It's already hours pass lunch, and we just got here! And let's not forget the queue for food! Is this "Spooky Burger" really that important to you?'

'It's limited time only Sharpfin!' Argued Flynn. 'It only comes once a year, and I can't go on without its sweet, pumpkiny taste, mixed with its perfectly seasoned meat, topped off with the premium pumpkin sauce!'

'Well, if you need it so much, then you queue up for it! I'm going to wait inside.' He did.

Snap Shot watched as Sharpfin walked into the ship, and Flynn joined the long queue. That was when he saw the opportunity, and whenever he saw opportunity, he would always take it.

Silently, he crept onto the ship. He found a small stack of crates in the corner, which looked like an ideal hiding place. He carefully crawled behind it, and kept completely still.

A few minutes passed. Snap Shot could hear Sharpfin talking to someone on the ship's radio. 'He wanted to go all the way out here to get some 'Spooky Burger', and he's still queuing up for it! Can you believe it?'

He was interrupted by the sound of Flynn running up the ship again. 'Uh… They ran out.' Sharpfin sighed.

'Well, turns out this journey was pointless. We'll see you guys back at the Academy.'

The ship began take-off. 'Can I drive?' Asked Flynn.

'No, you may not.'

'Please?'

Snap Shot ignored their arguing. It did not matter right now. The only thing he could think about now was getting back to the Academy, and returning to his body. There was a performance he could not miss, and a troll he needed to talk to.

OoOoOoOoOo

In the laboratory of the Academy, there was a tall shelf full of magical oddities. They were usually artifacts collected on missions. Spirits and wisps who needed to be contained. They were dangerous beings, and students were not allowed to touch them.

There was a recent addition to that collection: The black wisp that was collected earlier now sat in the middle shelf. But unlike the other wisps, who hung still, this one moved about. Many of them were put to sleep carefully before being placed in the jar, but it was not. It had been placed in the jar by that blue crocagator earlier, and he did not put him to sleep before placing him here. That, and it was determined to break out of its jar. It was pushing everywhere to try and escape. The lid was sealed shut by some sort of welding fluid, and it soon learnt that it could not escape by pushing up. It deducted that the only way to escape was to push sideways.

It spent hours doing that, pushing the jar's side. The jar clinked softly against the others as it pushed, slowly inching millimeter by millimeter forward. It tipped closer and closer to the edge. Slowly, but surely, it was making progress.

It pushed the jar one more time, and that was what did it. The jar fell to the ground, shattering into tiny fragments. The fluid that the Skylanders have placed him in to preserve its magical essence was spilled around the lab, along with several shards of glass. The shadow beast rose. It was finally time to satisfy its hunger.

But first, it needed to make some more to help. It slowly began a budding process.


	5. At the End of the Day

The festival had begun. All around the field in the Academy, the citizens of the Underworld went around enjoying the attractions. There was a breeze blowing around, but it was not chilly at all. The field was filled with jack-o-lanterns, the heat from the candles inside them warmed everyone up. It also cast a pleasant orange glow, giving a lively atmosphere to the festival. Contributing to the energy of the place was the smell of the sweets. The rich smells of pumpkin, chocolate, candies apples, and many more sweet treats filled the air. Upbeat music poured through the speakers, and groups of people danced and sang along with the songs. Besides the ghosts, ghouls, and skeletons who roamed the surface freely, other species mingled with them. Mabu, elves, and many more wore costumes and masks. For that one night, it did not matter whether you were of the Underworld or the surface. Everyone just wanted to enjoy the festivities.   
  
That was what Glumshanks saw when he peeked outside the window. The first show was scheduled to start at seven thirty, and it was currently seven twenty-five. There was already a crowd gathering outside the haunted house, curious about this new attraction. He turned to look at the Trap Masters, they looked anxious to start this too.   
  
They had been rehearsing all afternoon. Although Knight Light's lines were few, it was tricky to learn his positions. That was the part which he struggled with. All he got was a brief crash course, and they had to rush it. But in the end, he pulled through. Although he was a little worried, he thought the performance would be fine. The Trap Masters probably needed some reassurance on that, though.   
  
Knight Light felt well enough to come for moral support. He had helped Glumshanks all afternoon, cramming his lines and movements. It was a tricky thing to learn in a few hours, but Knight Light was patient. And after that period of constant rehearsals, Glumshanks felt slightly prepared.   
  
He turned to the Trap Masters, and cleared his throat. 'So, we're all here now.' He began. 'It's been a complicated journey, no doubt. Knight Light can't perform now, and I had to step in. So, this would not be as polished as we hoped it would be. But, I think we managed to pull through. So, let's do this. For Knight Light, the audience, and all the friends that have supported us. We've worked hard for this, so let's just give it our best tonight. Now, let's get to our starting positions.'   
  
Everyone nodded. But before doing so, Wallop held his hand in front of him. Next to him, Head Rush placed her hand on top of his. The others followed suit, putting all their hands together. Doing that action caused the team to stand together in a small circle. Eventually, the only one who did not have his hand in there was Glumshanks. The others looked at him, expecting him to place his hand in with them. They wore warm, inviting expressions. As if saying "you're a part of this team too".   
  
It was something he could get used to. He placed his hand in, and together, they cheered 'Trap Team!' They threw their hands up in the air, cheering with nervous excitement. As soon as that ritual was done, they made their way to their positions.   
  
Glumshanks climbed up the stairs, onto the second floor. He hid in the passageway connecting the two rooms together, and waited.   
  
OoOoOoOoOo   
  
The performance was a hit. As Glumshanks waited for his own cue, he kept his ears open, listening to the Trap Masters and their performances. From the sound of it, the audience was receptive to everything. From the narration, to the performances by the Trap Masters, to the special effects. Everything flowed and fitted wonderfully. Even if the performance was nothing special, it was clear that everyone was trying their hardest to make it something fun and interesting.   
  
Then came Glumshanks' time to shine. And when he did, he made sure that he put his all into it. When Lob-Star opened the cardboard door, he ran up to them, right on cue. He began his performance, recalling the lines that he had memorized earlier. There was a part of him inside that felt bittersweet as he acted. It may be because he knew that Knight Light was supposed to play this role, but because he had been unable to protect the team, he could not. But he used it to fuel the performance, and ended up putting his heart into it.   
  
A few times, especially during the ending scene, he stumbled on some lines and actions. But fortunately, the Trap Masters could cover for him. Along with a few ad-libs, and the audience barely suspected that something was off.   
  
As the story came to its end, everyone took their bow, and a strange warm feeling filled Glumshanks. It was something he was unfamiliar with. Something he never felt before. Something that made him feel light, but accomplished. For the first time in a very long time, Glumshanks felt some self-respect.   
  
As Knight Mare and Short Cut (who had taken over the role as usher) were about to lead the audience out, a small phantom (who Short Cut recognized) attempted to jump out the window. Fortunately, the window was made of clear plastic, so he did not manage to break through. He did end up a little dizzy.   
  
As the show wrapped up, and the audience was herded out, Knight Light stayed behind. A large smile was on his face. 'That was great everyone! The way you guys acted, and the special effects, was fantastic!' Everyone gave a large round of applause at that.   
  
'Thanks, Knight Light. But the person we should all be thanking is Snap Shot.' Said Wallop. 'It couldn't have been easy. Organizing all of us and directing this. Staging the whole thing.'   
  
'And filling in for me, especially under such short notice.' Said Knight Light.   
  
'I'm surprised at how good you were, Snap! I mean, last time you tried to audition, you were terrible! But you were awesome out there!' Said Short Cut.   
  
Glumshanks chuckled. 'Heh, well, I've been practicing. It's a little tough to explain.'   
  
'Well, you were great!' Smiled Short Cut. 'Let's get some pumpkin pie before the next show starts.'   
  
The Trap Masters walked out of the haunted house, cheerfully chatting with each other. By now, the festival was in full swing. The crowds of skeletons, vampires, ghouls, and phantoms were mixed with the usual crowds of mabu, and there was a lively buzz among the crowds. The team squeezed through the crowds, making their way to the pastry stall.   
  
When they got their pie, they gathered away from the crowds. They sat down, spreading themselves apart on three picnic benches. Away from the crowd, they simply sat back, waiting for the next show to start. The cool breeze of an autumn night carried the smell and sounds of the festival to where they were. Glumshanks decided that everything right here was amazing. From taste of the sweet, buttery pumpkin pie with whipped cream, to the breeze, the faint sound of cheering children and music, the brief alluring smell of chocolate and pumpkins, and the chipper chatter of the Trap Masters exchanging jokes. It was the best night he had in a long while.   
  
He looked at the festival from afar, watching the attendees enjoy the event. It was tightly crowded, as the attendees walked around enjoying the tricks and treats. 'I never want this feeling to end.'   
  
But just as he thought that, he saw a familiar hand trying to push his way through the crowd. The green hand squeezed his way in between two mabu women, prompting some dirty looks from them. 'Sorry,' He said, in a familiar accent. The hand had successfully pushed forward, revealing the full body of the troll. Glumshanks gasped when he saw the troll. He searched around for a bit, before spotting Glumshanks and the Trap Masters seated on the bench. When he did, his eyes widened, and he dashed towards them. 'Hey, everyone! I'm over here!'   
  
The sound of being called turned everyone's attention towards the troll. 'Glumshanks?!' Went Wallop. 'What are you doing here?' He sounded more confused than anything.   
  
Glumshanks watched the troll nervously. He had a feeling he knew who that was, and if the Trap Masters found out that it was Snap Shot, he was going to be in a whole heap of trouble. He stopped his imagination from running off, and ran up to him. 'Uh, well, maybe he's just here to enjoy the festival. Last time I checked, there's nothing in the rules that says he can't be here.'   
  
Snap Shot looked at Glumshanks, making direct eye-contact with him. He had a yearning look in them, which made Glumshanks a little uncomfortable. 'Actually, I'm here to get back into my own body, Glumshanks.'   
  
Glumshanks noticed the Trap Masters all had confused looks on their faces. 'What are you talking about, Glumshanks?' Asked Wildfire. 'Is this some sort of trick set up by Kaos?'   
  
'What? No, it's nothin' like that at all, Wildfire! I swear, just let me explain myself an' it'll make sense.'   
  
The lion folded his arms expectantly, 'Well, go on then.'   
  
Snap Shot began. 'Remember last night, when we had that take-out? An' remember how I had that weird fortune? Well, Kaos an' Glumshanks ate from the same place last night. An' so Glumshanks got the same fortune cookie! It made us swap bodies 'cause a pixie played a prank on us! But I have the counter-spell right here! All we have to do is say it together at the same time, an' we'll be back in our own bodies Glumshanks!'   
  
'Wait, you guys swapped bodies?' Interjected Knight Mare.   
  
'Yeah, we did!' Answered Snap Shot.   
  
He proceeded to tell everyone the story. About how he had opened his fortune cookie, and because of a prank, he had swapped bodies with Glumshanks. All around him, the Trap Team gave him skeptical looks. 'How do we know that this isn't a trick?' Asked Knight Mare.   
  
'Because I know this.' Said Snap Shot.   
  
And he walked over to her, and whispered something into her ear. As he did so, Knight Mare's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth left gaping at the shock and surprise of "Glumshanks" knowing a deep secret. 'Yup, this is definitely Snap Shot.'   
  
Snap Shot looked through his team. They were all buzzing among themselves, discussing this strange magical incident. But then he caught a glimpse at Knight Light, in his wheelchair, with broken limbs. 'What happened to you, Knight Light!?'   
  
'I fell out of a widow.'   
  
'But how?! You can fly!' Snap Shot turned his attention to the team (and Glumshanks). 'What the heck happened?!'   
  
The team told him what happened immediately; they all knew that when Snap Shot used his "team dad" voice, it was no time to beat around the bush. Only Glumshanks remained silent, watching the team explain to their leader what happened. His conscience only grew guiltier as he watched Snap Shot's expression change from concern, to anger, and back again.   
  
He had heard the whole story. Everything, from the way he fled in battle, to the way Knight Light got injured. When they concluded their tale, Snap Shot turned to face Glumshanks. 'We need to swap back now, Glumshanks.' His voice was dangerously soft, as if anger was just bubbling beneath the surface.   
  
Glumshanks would have usually obliged to such a demand. Obeying commands was bred into him from young. And it was the most logical choice. To let Snap Shot resume with his life, and to resume with his own.   
  
But he didn't make a move towards Snap Shot. He stood there, a raging debate in his head. On one hand, he knew he had to remain loyal to Lord Kaos. He was his right-hand man, only friend, and most of all, he needed him in his conquest of evil and darkness. It was the responsible choice to swap back. And he liked to be responsible.   
  
But on the other hand, after experiencing the kindness and understanding the Trap Masters showed him, a part of him didn't want to return to his own life. They had treated him well, and he didn't want it to end. Not now, at least. As much as admires Kaos, he was never very kind to him. The argument raged in his mind.   
  
But the anxious stares all around him were beginning to stress him out. Everyone was expecting him to do something. But he didn't know what to do! He wanted to be like this a little longer, because the moment he swaps back, he had to return to his regular life. If only it could last a little bit longer…   
  
The argument raged on. But Lord Kaos needs someone to look out for him.   
  
But I'm not ready to swap back yet! I just need some more time, then I think I can.   
  
So, how long do you want to keep this up?   
  
'Glumshanks,' Started Snap Shot. 'are you gonna swap back, or not?'   
  
Glumshanks snapped back to reality, facing all the expectant faces of the team. They all stared at him, impatient and worried. Like they were anticipating him to do something. But he didn't know what he should choose. So, he took a deep breath, and did the first thing he thought of.   
  
He chose not to choose.   
  
'Wait, Glumshanks, where the heck are you goin'?!' Called Snap Shot. But he got no response as Glumshanks backed away.   
  
'Come on, Glumshanks! Please! I want to have my life back!'   
  
He took another step back. The Trap Masters looked at him, concerned. 'Glumshanks? Are you alright?'   
  
But before he could even respond, a shriek was heard from behind him. Glumshanks turned around. It came from the festival. More screams could be heard from a distance, all screaming about some monsters. Immediately, the Trap Masters ran towards the festival. Glumshanks hesitated slightly, before running after them.   
  
When they made it to the festival grounds, they were met with chaos and disarray. All around the field, various monsters were scattered around. 'Wha- How did it escape?!' Went Knight Light.   
  
But it was not the time to find out who had let them escape, right now, they had to focus on fighting the monsters. Already, the square was full of the other Skylanders, all of them busy fighting off the beasts and getting the festival attendees to safety. Immediately, the Trap Masters rushed into the battle. 'Glumshanks, please, get our weapons quickly!'   
  
Glumshanks did so without hesitation. Along with a few others who followed to assist him.   
  
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Trap Masters did whatever they could. Most of them were busy guiding attendees away from the fight. Even though the battle field was busy, a few Skylanders and civilians noticed that Snap Shot, in Glumshanks' body, was leading the Trap Team.   
  
'What are you doing here?' Went a mabu. However, she was pushed forward by Wallop.   
  
'Less talking, more evacuating!'   
  
'But why would that troll be-'   
  
'No time to explain, ma'am. Go!'   
  
Snap Shot ignored the glare that mabu gave him, and rushed forward to try to help his friends. He had gotten more accustomed to such looks by now.   
  
Snap Shot looked around, observing the battle around him. He watched what happened when a weaker beast got defeated. Whenever someone defeated it, it would evaporate into nothingness. But from what Knight Light said earlier, he had fought them before. He figured that it would be wise to ask him about these creatures first. 'Knight Light?'   
  
Knight Light raised his head. He was in the middle of evacuating the attendees. 'What is it?'   
  
'What are these?'   
  
Knight Light explained to him the best he could about the fight earlier.   
  
'And so how do we defeat the leader?'   
  
'I… I think we have to strike it hard enough. But we have to get rid of the others first.'   
  
'Do you know how there were others?'   
  
'No, I don't. Now, you get on with this battle!' Exclaimed the knight. He rushed back to evacuate attendees.   
  
A few of the weaker beasts had already been taken care of, but there were still a few of the stronger ones left. It was clear that the Trap Masters needed to step in. But first they needed their weapons. Where was Glumshanks with their weapons?   
  
Suddenly, he heard a scream from behind him. Snap Shot turned behind him, and saw a monster slowly clawing its way through a small pile of wood. He could see a small child under the wood, a terrified look on her face. He needed to do something, and quick. Snap Shot looked around at the field. He spotted a broken stand near him, and thinking quickly, he grabbed a board and swung hard at a beast.   
  
That got the attention of the shadow creature, who growled at him. It lunged at him, but Snap Shot dodged it. However, it got the wooden board. The board snapped into two, and it left Snap Shot without a way to defend himself. Snap Shot now had its attention. In one swift movement, he pulled a board out, allowing a tiny hole for the girl to climb out of. Then, using said board and holding the beast's attention, he began to lead it away from the escaping child. 'Come here an' pick on someone your own size!'   
  
But just as he was about to swing towards the beast, a large pair of shears sliced through the shadowy figure, defeating it instantly. Snap Shot turned to see Short Cut, holding his shears up happily. 'We've returned with the weapons!'   
  
Snap Shot turned to face the battle. He was right, the Trap Masters were now equipped with their weapons, and had officially joined the battle. The weakest of the shadow beasts have already been defeated, and there only remained the strongest of the bunch. It was clear that the other Skylanders had their hands full with fighting the beasts. It was also clear that a loose piece of wood would not be a good weapon to defeat the shadow beings with. He needed something with more power in its attacks. Something like his bow. He needed to find it, along with Glumshanks.   
  
In the chaos, Snap Shot spotted Glumshanks, holding his bow. A Traptanium arrow was already placed on the bowstring, and it seemed that Glumshanks was looking for someone. Snap Shot ran towards him, and grabbed his arms.   
  
'Wha – what are you doing?!'   
  
'Are you left or right-handed?' Asked Snap Shot.   
  
'Uh, right-handed. But why do you need to know that?'   
  
'Right now, my arms don't have the muscle memory or the strength to properly use this. An' you don't have the knowledge on how to aim an' shoot. So right now, you're goin' to be my arms, you hear me?' Glumshanks nodded.   
  
'Excellent. Now first off, position your feet like this.' He showed him the proper positioning, with Glumshanks copying his movements.   
  
'Alright, now keep your arms straight.' He did so.   
  
'And draw the arrow out like this.' He helped Gumshanks pull the arrow out.   
  
'Aim.' He did so at a large shadow beast.   
  
'And, let go!'   
  
He did so. The large Traptanium arrow soared through the air, and it hit the large beast squarely in the side. That was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back, as the shadow creature evaporated into nothingness.   
  
After Snap Shot's plan proved to be successful, they continued with it. Together, they shot arrow after arrow at the shadow beasts, Snap Shot clinging onto Glumshanks' back while he guided him on how to shoot arrows. Or was he technically clinging onto his own back? Either way, he guided Glumshanks through the battle. Arrows flew. And slowly, but surely, shadow beasts fell.   
  
On one particular case, after shooting down another beast (it was only the third one they had defeated), they both caught a glimpse of another beast being cornered by a Skylander. But just as it looked like the Skylander, Enigma, was about to defeat it, the beast lunged at him, out of the blue. It had managed to hit him squarely in his stomach. Enigma then became its main target, as the beast tried to maul and bite him. It eventually succeeded, biting him in the arm. But despite the pain, Enigma pushed on, attempting to turn invisible. But there was a clear struggle to do so.   
  
Glumshanks watched their battle with a morbid curiosity, barely paying attention to his surroundings. It was almost unbearable to watch, yet he could not help it. 'Glumshank? Glumshanks! Pay attention, mate!' Went Snap Shot. This brought Glumshanks' attention back to the battle at hand. Snap Shot helped with his positioning once more, and they assisted Enigma with the beast. An arrow was shot, and the beast got hit. That gave Enigma enough time to charge up his attack one-handed. He hit the beast with one large blast of energy. It stunned the beast, and allowed the three to continue attacking it. Beams of magic and arrows were shot at it, until it evaporated into nothingness.   
  
Snap Shot and Glumshanks turned to face Enigma, who was clutching his bleeding arm. The beast had bitten deeply, and although the bleeding had stopped, there was clearly enough to make Glumshanks uncomfortable.   
  
'You alright Enigma?!' Asked Snap Shot. 'I think you might need to sit out of this one for now.'   
  
Enigma paused for a moment, as if considering his surroundings, before making up his mind and nodding. He grabbed his sigil, and walked off to bandage his wounds.   
  
Glumshanks looked around the place. Enigma wasn't the only one getting seriously injured. All around him were Skylanders fighting the shadowed beasts. All of them had injuries too. But they all kept fighting. All of them fought hard too. The beasts weren't easy to defeat, but they all just kept pushing on.   
  
He watched the battle. All the ways they obtained their injuries. All the ways they defeated the shadow beasts. All of them fighting and focused in the midst of chaos and danger, but they didn't seem to be aware of the danger. Or if they did, they didn't seem to let it bother them.   
  
'Glumshanks! We need to carry on!' Called Snap Shot. But Glumshanks barely budged.   
  
It was almost unbelievable to him. Here they all were, fighting not for one single person, or even a group of people, but for anyone who needed it. Half of them were injured, but they kept going on.   
  
He wasn't sure if that was extremely brave and noble, or extremely stupid and reckless.   
  
'Glumshanks!' Snap Shot's voice snapped him out of his train of thought, and he regained his focus. 'Let's get on with it!'   
  
Glumshanks pulled himself together, and went back to shooting arrows with Snap Shot. But not before he caught a glimpse of Enigma running back into the battle field, a bandage on his arm and a healing rainbow raining down on him.   
  
There were only a few beasts on the battle-floor now. The hardest to defeat. But since there was a reduction in numbers, multiple Skylanders could focus on fighting one of them together. Although they were all tired, and the remaining shadow beasts were strong, their numbers made up for it. The battle continued.   
  
Snap Shot and Glumshanks helped to shoot down yet another beast. Once it fell, they rushed to help fight the others. Snap Shot could feel his muscles aching from all the running around and firing arrows. They were unbelievably sore. He hadn't experienced this kind of fatigue in a long time. It was like he was just starting out again. But he kept pushing forward. He knew he had to.   
  
'Now, Glumshanks!' He called. Another arrow was shot into a shadow creature. And another. And one more. The creature evaporated, leaving only one creature to focus their efforts on.   
  
The Skylanders and Glumshanks turned their attention to the final beast. The Skylanders already fighting it clearly needed assistance. Everyone was tired, most were injured, but this was the final one. The largest and strongest of the shadow beasts. They could finish it. They had to.   
  
Everyone fell into the battle. Sharp weapons slashed. Magic beams were shot. Sparks flew. Hammers smashed. And arrows were shot.   
  
Snap Shot helped Glumshanks pull the bowstring. 'Steady now.' Noted Snap Shot, as they aimed for the beast. Carefully avoiding the melee fighter up front, they found a spot to aim for the beast, and released.   
  
The arrow sailed through the air. Thankfully, their aim was not off in the slightest, and the arrow hit their designated target right in the head.   
  
That arrow was the straw that broke the camel's back.   
  
The beast, after being bombarded left and right by attacks from Skylanders, finally went back to its dormant state of a wisp.   
  
The battle was over.   
  
  



	6. Beautiful

Glumshanks sat on a hay bale in silence, as he watched the Skylanders deal with the attendees. Scared chatter rose from the crowds, and he strangely found himself feeling the same way that the civilians did. Anxious; scared; confused, but for different reasons.

He was those things right now, mainly because he didn't know how he wanted to go about this mess. A part of him wanted to stay a crocagator. To be able to start all over again in this blank slate just sounded so appealing, especially since he now knew what he had been missing out all his life. And the best part was that Snap Shot was a well-respected member of society. If he could live the rest of his life as him, he would have no complaints. It sounded wonderful to him, having friends that would always look out for him, and in turn having friends to look out for. And he could finally live life away from the stigma that trolls often had. That would be great.

But on the other hand, he didn't know if he could handle being a Skylander. It was one thing watching the battles from a distance, but when he was actually fighting alongside them, he could suddenly see all of the dangers that the Skylanders put themselves through every day. And he was not sure if he could handle it for the rest of his life.

Not to mention, it would also be selfish of him. He knew that he would be betraying Kaos if he continued living as Snap Shot. After all, someone needed to look out for him. He would also be preventing Snap Shot from being together with his friends and loved ones, and he couldn't do that. It was an awful feeling, being alone in a world where you don't have anyone looking out for you. He knew that feeling well. He experienced it almost daily. And he could not let Snap Shot face that. No one deserved to be lonely, and he knew it.

But a part of him wanted to keep the friendships that he had formed here. To continue living as Snap Shot. To finally enjoy living life and to kiss his old life goodbye. His mind was looping in circles, torn between what he wanted and what he thought was for the best.

He supposed he could just stay as Snap Shot. After all, trolls weren't exactly known for their selflessness, and he knew that. So, if he chose to remain where he was at, he wouldn't exactly be tainting the reputation of his species. Besides, he figured that he deserved to be a little selfish. He had been selfless his whole life, and he figured that he might deserve to be a little selfish.

But that's exactly what your family would do.

Glumshanks paused for a while after realizing that. That statement was the deal-breaker, as he made up his mind on what to do. He got up, and began to search for Snap Shot. He had a body he needed to return to.

No matter what, he could not do what his family had done to him. His family never did anything that did not benefit themselves in some way. And he needed to be better than them. Those trolls had caused him nothing but insecurity and a sense of loneliness, and he could not do that to someone else.

Besides acting like his family, he realized that there were many things that he would be taking away from Snap Shot if he remained in his body. For one, there would be no way Snap Shot could carry on defending Skylands and protecting the innocent if he was still in his own scrawny body. For another, it would be way harder for people to trust him if he was a troll, thanks to the species' reputation. It was not like he had much use for the body anyways.

He supposed that he could use the body to mess up the reputation of the Skylanders. Or he could use it to do miscellaneous evil acts, as a follower of evil would do. But he didn't particularly want to do that. Could it be because you're a coward? Went an intrusive thought. But he found himself able to brush it off. Mainly because he didn't feel very scared or cowardly right now. In fact, he strangely felt the opposite.

It was settled. Glumshanks got up, a brave look on his face, and began to look through the crowds, as he searched for Snap Shot. He was with his fellow Trap Masters, as they were all helping with the crowds.

'Erm, Snap Shot?' Asked Glumshanks. Snap Shot turned around to face him.

'Glumshanks,' Began Snap Shot. 'is there something that you would like to say?' His hunched position and nervous expression seemed to indicate that.

'Yes, well, you see…' He wrung his sweaty hands, carefully choosing his next words. 'I'd been thinking. And, well…'

'I think that it's time that we swapped back.' He blurted. There had been no point beating around the bush now that the decision was made, but he still choked on his words.

Snap Shot's eyes lit up at that. 'Alright then.' He pulled a small, crumpled piece of paper from the vest pocket. 'Let's get to it then.' He said, as he smoothed the paper with his shaking thumbs. Glumshanks could tell that, despite how he was trying to stay calm and cool, he was beyond relieved and excited at the thought of returning to his body.

The incantation was written in a messy scrawl, due to it having been written in haste. There were ink blots splattered all over the paper, as if it had been written in haste, and it was. The words themselves were smudged; black ink was rubbed all over the wrinkled paper. Overall, the incantation was barely readable, but the two of them could make out some of the words in the paper. And using a mixture of Snap Shot's memory and contextual clues, they could figure out the complete spell.

'Alrighty, here goes nothing.' Went Snap Shot, as he wrote out the final words of the spell. He returned the borrowed pen to Blastermind (who despite never needing it, always brought along a pad of paper and pen with him), and brought the paper to the two of them.

'On three,' Glumshanks nodded. 'One, two, three.' And they recited the incantation together.

'This time we shared has been fun;

But now our bonding is done;

I've walked a mile in your shoes;

Been through all your abuse;

Now I'll never assume anyone.'

After the incantation was said, they waited to see if there was any effect. All around them, a small crowd of Skylanders and bystanders were gathered around them. Their reciting of the spell had apparently drawn attention to them, and from that small crowd rose murmurs, as everyone was trying to figure out what was going on.

A few seconds passed. But nothing happened

Then a few more seconds passed. But still, nothing happened.

Even more seconds passed, and there was still no change. It seemed that the incantation had no effect on them.

'Well…' Went Snap Shot. 'I guess we tried Glumshanks.' He took a deep breath, forcing a stoic look on his face. 'No one could say that we didn't try.'

Glumshanks felt a lump form in his throat. The only feeling he felt now was numbness. Numbness, and an instinctual feeling to blame himself. Could they have swapped back if only he had agreed to it earlier, if he had not been so wishy-washy and selfish? He didn't know.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. It began to shake hard. All around, whatever stalls that were still left standing from the fight earlier were beginning to collapse. 'Earthquake!' cried a mabu from the crowd. And chaos erupted.

Everyone ran about, searching for some form of protection from the shaking ground and falling stalls. Most of them were either screaming or simply panicking, unable to think clearly. Skylanders went about, trying to calm the attendees down and getting them out of harm's way. A few of the more level-headed attendees found clear spaces in the field, and crouched down, their arms and hands covering their heads against any falling debris. And right in the middle of this chaotic commotion was Snap Shot and Glumshanks.

Glumshanks felt hard vibrations coarse through his body, as if someone was shaking his insides hard. It made him want to throw up, and he could barely stand. But it felt like some sort of force had rooted his feet to the ground, and he could not leave his current position. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. He could not even open his mouth. As he tried to do something, anything, he realized that he seemed to have lost all control of his body. In front of him, he could see Snap Shot in a similar situation as himself. They were both left there, flopping without control in the middle of the earthquake.

Suddenly, he blacked out. He felt his body hit the floor, and then, numbness. He could feel nothing. Nothing, except for the vibrating ground he was lying on. But the vibrations were beginning to slow down, and they were not as hard as they were earlier. Until, they stopped entirely.

The moment they stopped, he felt that queasy feeling he had ebb away. He felt his lungs fill with cool, autumn air, and he felt his pulse returning. Most importantly, he could feel his body again. He opened his eyes, and tried to have a look around.

From where he was laying, all he could see was the sky, and the tops of a few standing stalls and game booths. The only sounds he heard were the puzzled voices of the attendees, as they went about checking to see if their loved ones were alright. He sat up, and when he did so, the first thing he saw in front of him was Snap Shot's body.

The spell worked! Glumshanks felt himself, as a final validation that he really had returned to his body. Same old spindly arms, same old mouldy vest, same old giant ears. He had swapped back into his own body.

In front of him, Snap Shot stirred. He opened his eyes, and slowly sat up. As he did so, he his eyes widened as he saw the troll that sat in front of him. He looked down at his own scaly hands, and used them to feel his own reptilian face. 'Glumshanks… It worked!' He smiled. 'It really worked!'

He immediately jumped up, almost as if he was literally jumping for joy. But before he went off to announce the good news to his friends, he paused in his step, and turned around to extend his hand to help Glumshanks up. 'Here,' he said. 'Ya probably don't have anyone helping you up often, don't you?' Glumshanks shook his head, and with a small smile, accepted his help up.

'Thanks Snap Shot.' Said Glumshanks.

Snap Shot grinned at him. 'No, thank you for agreein' to swap back. Thank you so much.' And with a grateful smile, Snap Shot walked off to meet with his friends.

Glumshanks let out a bittersweet sigh as he watched Snap Shot chatting with the other Trap Masters. It is for the greater good. Snap Shot has important uses for his body. He thought. He watched their little group talk, as Snap Shot relayed to them the events of his day. An odd sense of envy filled him, like he would never get that type of friendship ever again. But he let that slide. He could never stay angry at anything or anyone for long. He decided that it was probably a good time to leave, now that they were all distracted, but as he was about to leave, someone stopped him.

'Hey, Glumshanks.' Went Snap Shot. 'C'mere for a moment.' He said, gesturing the troll to the circle of Trap Masters. Glumshanks did so.

'Hey, so I've been talkin' to the others over here, and they told me about what ya did to help save the performance earlier. So, thanks for that. It was some real quick thinkin' on your part.'

'Oh, well, it's really no big deal… I just sort of saw what the situation was like, and I thought about how to solve it as fast as possible. I do it all the time with Kaos, really.'

'Well, ya saved the whole performance. I think that deserves some commendation.' Glumshanks grinned at the compliment. But after the short round of praise was complete, he backed out. 'I should probably get back to the lair now. Kaos is probably expecting me.'

'Aw, come on, Glumshanks, are you sure you can't stay around for a little while longer?' Asked Head Rush, in her usual cheery way.

'Yeah!' Chimed in Short Cut. 'You were helping all of us throughout the day, so why don't you stay a little longer. You could help us clear the debris, and after that we can just-' The sentence was cut short as Short Cut fell into a deep sleep. The sugar had finally worn off for good, and he had entered a sugar coma.

'Well, so what do you think?' Asked Head Rush.

Glumshanks smiled. 'Well, I guess that does sound pretty good…' He paused, hesitant. It was getting rather late, and there was no doubt that Kaos would be looking for him. He would eventually make it to the Academy, and he knew that that would not end well, regardless of what happens. 'But I really should be getting back to Kaos' lair soon. He's probably expecting me.'

'But-' But before anyone could say a thing, Glumshanks turned and left.

The team watched him walk off into the distance in silence. But they soon broke apart to help clear up the debris. Eventually, the only ones remaining were Knight Mare and Snap Shot. 'So,' began Knight Mare, after a while. 'what do we do about him now. I don't think I'll be able to see Glumshanks the same way ever again.'

'Well, Knight Mare.' Began Snap Shot, as he tried to think of something meaningful to say. Unfortunately, he found that he could not think of anything. 'I'm not really sure actually.'

Knight Mare kicked a hoof at the ground, biting her lip. 'I don't know why,' she began, 'But I have this weird feeling that we should have trapped him, instead of just letting him go like that. We could have found out some more information about Kaos' evil plans, and we could avert a threat.'

The two of them began walking in silence, neither one of them having anything to say after that comment. In a way, she had a point. Glumshanks still was on the side of evil, and there was no telling what Kaos would be up to next. Them just letting Glumshanks off like that was a risky move.

'I see where you're coming from,' Said Snap Shot. 'but technically, he didn't do anything that warranted an arrest. We'll just have to wait and see if this new plan is a big one, or if it's yet another dud. And besides, Kaos hadn't thought of any good evil plans when I asked him earlier.'

'Why did you turn back so quickly, anyways?' Asked Knight Mare. 'I would have stayed in Glumshanks' body until he thought of a plan.'

Snap Shot rubbed the back of his neck. 'I was anxious, I guess. A little scared and all that.'

Knight Mare folded her arms. 'It seemed like a wasted opportunity to get more info.'

'Well, I did find out one thing.' Said Snap Shot. 'He has plans on using his mind magic again. For some sort of plan, although I don't know what yet.'

'We'll just have to wait and see then, and be prepared whenever that happens then.' She said. 'But hopefully, it won't be another clone. I can barely stand the one we already have.'

Snap Shot chuckled at that. 'Whatever it is, we will find a way to defeat him.'

OoOoOoOoOo

Glumshanks sat across Kaos, as he watched him pour into his magic books. The day had been… strange, to say the least, and he was surprised at how Kaos had not realized that he had swapped bodies for the entire day. Either Snap Shot was a better actor than he thought, or his master really was too wrapped up in his planning to notice. And based on the other Trap Masters' responses when he told them he could act, it was most likely the latter.

As Kaos was busy with planning and reading magic books again, it once again gave Glumshanks some time to think. Today had been an unusual day, to say the least. It wasn't every day when you swapped bodies with the leader of an enemy team, and somehow managed to go unnoticed for most of the day.

But he had to admit, he enjoyed his time as Snap Shot. He had been treated excellently, and he had felt things he had never felt before. And although he had once struggled to find the exact emotions he had felt, he could identify them clearly now.

It was a strange thing, as when he was in his usual body, most would treat him with hostility and contempt. But the minute he swapped bodies with someone well-respected on the side of good, it revealed to him a world he had never seen before. A world where those closest to one's heart are given unconditional love and friendship. A world where he could have a good self-esteem instead of constantly being belittled. A world where teamwork and friendship are important assets, and he could freely be himself. In the past, whenever he had encountered that world, it had always been from the outside. And he was not treated kindly then. In fact, it was often the opposite. I guess no system is perfect. He thought.

But now that he had spent a day inside that world, he was curious about what it contained. He wanted to know more about it, to see what else was in store. He knew that now, he will be a loyal member on the side of evil, but maybe if he grew too curious someday, he could investigate the good side again.

Who knows, maybe the good side isn't all that bad. He thought to himself, as he sank into his chair, tired from the days events.

THE END

OoOoOoOoOo


End file.
